Sophomores 2022
AIM: How did Edgar Allan Poe’s experiences and knowledge of history influence his creation for many of his stories?
DO NOW:
1) Using your cell phones define the following terms:
A) Pestilence (N):
A usually contagious or infectious fatal epidemic disease, especially
bubonic plague.
B) Plague (N):
A highly infectious, usually fatal, or contagious bacterial epidemic disease; characterized by fever or delirium; it infects many and kills most.
2) Team Challenge:
With your teams, List at least two plagues or pestilences that have affected our society, as well as the characteristics these possess that fit the definition of pestilence and/or plague.
The Bubonic Plague—AKA The Black Death, Smallpox, Yellow Fever, Cholera, Tuberculosis, Malaria. NOTE: COVID 19 is NOT considered to be a plague, as it is viral, rather than bacterial.
Ms. Peterson says “You should be realizing the bubonic plague, the Black Death. Why are we discussing all of this?”
Well, here’s why…
PANDEMIC REVIEW
⚫ A pandemic is the spread of infectious diseases globally.
⚫ It has occurred more frequently than normal and the effects are more dire than usual.
⚫ A disease is not a pandemic simply because it kills lots of people or occurs in a lot of places, it has to be infectious as well.
⚫ Cancer is not a pandemic disease, whereas AIDS is.
TERRIBLE PANDEMICS IN HISTORY
⚫ Plague of Athens (430 B.C.E.)
⚫ The Antonine Plague (165-180 A.D.)
⚫ The Justinian Plague (541-542 A.D.)
⚫ The Black Death (1347-1351 A.D.)
⚫ Native American Smallpox Epidemic (1500-1600 A.D.)
⚫ Cholera Pandemics (1816-1994 A.D.)
⚫ Spanish Flu Pandemic (1918-1920 A.D.
Ms. Peterson states “Notice they are wearing masks in the classroom. Ironic right?” aka the Spanish flu.
CONSUMPTION
⚫ Why is Tuberculosis considered to be a plague?
Tuberculosis (TB) was called “phthisis” in ancient Greece, “tabes” in ancient Rome, and “schachepheth” in ancient Hebrew. In the 1700s, TB was called “the white plague” due to the paleness of the patients.
⚫ How are Tuberculosis and Consumption connected?
TB was commonly called “consumption” in the 1800s even after Schonlein named it tuberculosis.
Ms. Peterson said “Take note of this last year before we did Edgar Alan Poe “The Bells'' unit with onomatopoeia. At some point, all of Poe’s loved ones all died from tuberculosis. Consumption is related to tuberculosis because tuberculosis is taking all his loved ones away.”
Historical Context
During the 14th century, an epidemic of Bubonic Plague—the Black Death— killed approximately 25 million people in Europe, more than a quarter of the total population. Victims of the plague experienced high fever, vomiting, pain and black swellings that oozed blood. Those whose lungs were infected spit up blood. Death usually came within three to five days.
EDGAR ALLAN POE: BIOGRAPHY
⚫ Place of birth: Boston, MA
⚫ Date of birth/death: January 19, 1809-October 7, 1849
⚫ Burial Location: Westminster Presbyterian churchyard in Baltimore
Here’s a 40 minute video on the life of Edgar Allan Poe https://youtu.be/Y5two65m1QE
EDGAR ALLAN POE: CHILDHOOD
❖ Orphaned at age 2
❖ Taken in by John and Frances (Fanny) Allan of Richmond, VA
❖ He attended the University of VA at age 17
❖ Lost all his money gambling and drank too
much
❖ Got excellent grades anyway
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
❖ Married 13 y.o. cousin (when he was 26) – Virginia Clemm
❖ She was the daughter of Maria Clemm, Poe’s aunt
❖ Virginia died of tuberculosis at age 24
Kenneth said, “He married someone half his age that was his cousin.”
Ms. Peterson said “We are all 14-15 she was already married to him at our age just to put in perspective. Many women in his life died of tuberculosis.”
HOW DID THIS AUTHOR BECOME INSPIRED TO WRITE?
❖ Poe’s Philosophy of Composition:
❖ Select one effect to achieve
❖ Length – should be read in one sitting
❖ Impression – contemplating beauty
❖ Tone – sadness/melancholy
❖ Subject – the death of a beautiful woman
❖ Also – “ratiocination” rat-ee-oh-seh-NA-shun (1: the process of exact thinking: reasoning. 2: a reasoned train of thought.)– detective stories based on logical solutions of crime
TEAM COLLABORATION
EXPLAIN ANY OBSTACLES THIS WRITER FACED
❖ Being orphaned
❖ Rejection by John Allan
❖ Drinking
❖ Poverty
❖ Gambling
My Team:
Tracy said that a lot of people in his life died and there are a lot of dark themes in his stories and that death occurs in every one of his stories.
I said his rejection from John Allan caused a lot of dark stories with rejection and alludes to “killing” John Allan through the characters he creates. In one of his stories, “The Cask of Amontillado”, drinking was appearing as two famous wine connoisseurs aka Montresor and Fortunato. He also uses tuberculosis as the cause of death for most of his work. In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Fortunato was tied up behind a concrete wall slowly building up in front of him causing him to suffocate, which is also how tuberculosis victims die.
Other Team:
Joel says being an orphan caused him to feel like he didn't belong because he's not with his family.
Ms. Peterson said, “If you recall from a few lessons before, I pointed out that hierarchy of needs includes love and belonging and he doesn't have a sense of belonging.”
Summer agrees because she says most of his work shows how he can’t express his emotions and he's drinking and poor. She also said that rejection of John Allan, the uncle, does make very dark works when he’s in a dark place. It makes sense he's not writing happy stories because it seems he has one struggle after another. Since the uncle basically throws him out the door when the aunt dies.
Edward said drinking will cause mental and physical problems and he suffered mentally.
Tracy said she thinks he died from intoxication and there was speculation about alcoholism and rabies.
Sofya said there was also something related to voting.
Owen said when Poe was writing his stories he was in poverty because he only became famous in his works after his death
Summer also added that because of his poverty he started gamboling for money and his work didn’t sell for as much as it did now.
Ms. Peterson said to keep this man's death in your mind because you’ll see why his stories are so dark.
WHY IS EDGAR ALLAN POE CONSIDERED TO BE INFLUENTIAL?
❖ His literary criticism shaped literature.
❖ His poetry is memorable.
❖ He created the modern short story (unity of character, detail, mood).
❖ He created the detective story (inspired by the Sherlock Holmes character).
❖ Influenced Dreiser, Faulkner, Doyle, Shaw and King
FIVE (5) CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS AUTHOR
❖ Melancholy – as shown in work
❖ Unstable – difficult relationships with
employers
❖ Alcoholic (?) – seemed to have a drinking problem, exact nature of which is unclear
❖ Ambitious – always wanted to start own magazine
❖ Loving – to Maria Clemm and Virginia, his wife
“The Masque of the Red Death”
Ms. Peterson said while reading we should annotate using the features we have learned and to annotate anything that resonates or stands out to you. Only finish annotating on section 1. For homework, research the meaning of 7 and look for multiple symbols for the number. Be prepared to discuss in class. There’s a list of 80 words to help us understand the story as we go along.
Section 1 of “The Masque of the Red Death”
The “Red Death” had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar¹ and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood. There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution. The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban² which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellowmen. And the whole seizure, progress, and termination of the disease, were the incidents of half an hour.
Reflection
Today I learned more about Edgar Allan Poe’s experiences and the symbolism in his stories from influences. I also learned more about the events and situations that influenced Poe’s personality, stories, and word decisions. I learned more about pandemics and the infamous ones in history. I also got a deeper understanding of Poe’s background and his inspirations. We learned about the many obstacles he faced from childhood to death. For example, his mom and wife both died of tuberculosis and his gambling addiction slowly took away his life. I learned this because it will help me figure out symbolism in Poe’s famous works and have a better understanding of what he was going through. In his stories, he uses many literary devices like symbolism and figurative language to emphasize the character's personality and actions. Many of the events also correspond to his own life, like in "The Cask of Amontillado," the death of Foratuno is caused by oxygen loss which people who died of tuberculosis had to go through. The discussion with my group was detail-oriented and provided me with new outlooks on Poe's life and literature. The lesson about the history/timeframe of when Poe lived helps to understand why Poe went through this and how it can relate to our very own lives in 2021. I will use these literacy skills in the future when I come through deeper texts.
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