5.16.W - Lesson: "Eldorado" by Edgar Allan Poe

Question 1

“Eldorado” was written during the time of _____________.
the Industrial Revolution
the California Gold Rush
the Roaring Twenties
the Spanish conquest of South America

Answer 1

the California Gold Rush

Question 2

In Spanish, “El Dorado” means _________.
“the wealthy one”
“the silver one”
“the golden door”
“the golden one”

Answer 2

“the golden one”

Question 3

Which word is repeated in the middle of each stanza of “Eldorado”?
Gold
Eldorado
Shadow
Battle

Answer 3

Shadow

Question 4

What biblical allusion does Poe include in “Eldorado”?
The parable of the lost coin
Zacchaeus and Jesus
The parable of the fig tree
The Valley of the Shadow of Death

Answer 4

The Valley of the Shadow of Death

Question 5

The meter and rhyme scheme of “Eldorado” is reminiscent of which literary form?
Epic poem
Nursery rhyme
Parable
Morality play

Answer 5

Nursery rhyme

Question 6

What is the heavy implication of the poem’s ending?
The knight will certainly find “Eldorado”
The search for “Eldorado” will end in death
The shade lied to the knight
The shade is the knight’s future self

Answer 6

The search for “Eldorado” will end in death

Question 7

You read about some of the tragic things that occurred to Edgar Allan Poe during his lifetime. With “Eldorado” in mind, do you think these sad events affected the themes and tone of Poe’s work? Or, do you think that a poet can write with total separation from his feelings and experiences? Explain your answer.

Your response should be 3–5 sentences.

Answer 7

Your Answer:
In my opinion, I think that the poem Eldorado is written from Poe’s life experiences. I say this because, for starters, this is near the end of Poe’s life when he writes this. Poe also experiences troubling times, like when he searches for happiness and cannot find it. This is just like the knight in the book because he searches for Eldorado and can not find it.

Question 8

What do you think Poe would have said to the families who uprooted everything to seek gold in California? Use examples from the text and lesson to support your answer.

Your response should be 3–5 sentences.

Answer 8

Your Answer:
I think Poe would say it will be a dream that comes up empty in the end. Like the knight in Eldorado, he had to go through the Valley of Shadows to find Elderodo. One could chase these dreams their whole life like the knight and never find what one is searching for. It ends in a life wasted.