edgar allan poe Flashcards
What is Edgar Allan Poe best known for?
His poetry and macabre short stories.
What year was Edgar Allan Poe born?
1809.
What is the title of Poe’s most famous poem?
The Raven.
True or False: Poe was a major figure in American Romanticism.
True.
Fill in the blank: Edgar Allan Poe is often considered the father of _______.
detective fiction.
What tragic event occurred in Poe’s life in 1847?
The death of his wife, Virginia Clemm.
Which poem begins with the line ‘Once upon a midnight dreary’?
‘The Raven.’
What genre did Poe significantly contribute to aside from horror?
Science fiction.
True or False: Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
False. He was born in Boston, but grew up in Richmond, Virginia.
What is the name of Poe’s short story that features a character who is buried alive?
‘The Cask of Amontillado.’
What literary device is heavily used in ‘The Raven’?
Repetition.
What is the main theme of ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’?
Guilt and paranoia.
Fill in the blank: Poe’s short story ‘The Fall of the House of _______’ explores themes of madness and family.
Usher.
What is the name of Poe’s fictional detective character?
C. Auguste Dupin.
What year did Edgar Allan Poe die?
1849.
True or False: Poe’s writing career began with his work as a journalist.
True.
What is the significance of the raven in Poe’s famous poem?
It symbolizes mourning and loss.
What narrative style is commonly used in Poe’s stories?
First-person perspective.
Which of Poe’s works is considered one of the first modern detective stories?
‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue.’
Who was Edgar Allan Poe’s mother?
Elizabeth Arnold Poe.
Fill in the blank: Poe’s story ‘The Black Cat’ explores themes of _______.
guilt and alcoholism.
What type of meter is predominantly used in ‘The Raven’?
Trochaic octameter.
What city did Poe primarily associate with his literary career?
Philadelphia.
What is the primary emotion expressed in the poem ‘Annabel Lee’?
Love and loss.
True or False: Poe’s works were well-received during his lifetime.
False. He struggled with recognition and financial stability.
What is the primary setting in ‘The Masque of the Red Death’?
A lavishly decorated abbey.
What was the cause of Edgar Allan Poe’s mysterious death?
The exact cause remains unknown; theories include alcoholism, rabies, or other illnesses.
What is the main conflict in ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’?
The narrator’s struggle with his guilt after committing murder.
Fill in the blank: Poe’s story ‘Ligeia’ explores themes of _______.
love and death.
What is the name of Poe’s poem that features the line ‘In the valley of Unrest’?
‘The Valley of Unrest.’
True or False: Poe was an editor for several literary magazines.
True.
What is the central theme of ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’?
The terror of impending death.
What is the significance of the heart in ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’?
It symbolizes the narrator’s guilt and conscience.
What was the title of Poe’s only full-length book published during his lifetime?
Tamerlane and Other Poems.
Fill in the blank: The character Roderick Usher is from the story ‘The Fall of the House of _______’.
Usher.
What is the primary literary technique used in ‘The Bells’?
Onomatopoeia.
What is the name of Poe’s poem that reflects on the loss of a beautiful woman?
‘Lenore.’
What was the relationship between Edgar Allan Poe and Virginia Clemm?
They were first cousins and married when she was 13.
True or False: Poe’s work often explores themes of madness and the supernatural.
True.
What is the main plot of ‘The Cask of Amontillado’?
A man seeks revenge on a friend by entombing him alive.
Fill in the blank: Poe’s story ‘The Oval Portrait’ deals with the themes of _______.
art and obsession.
What is ‘The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym’ about?
A young man’s adventures at sea.
What is the primary tone of Poe’s writing?
Dark and melancholic.
True or False: Poe was a supporter of transcendentalism.
False. He often opposed transcendentalist ideals.
What is the key motif in Poe’s poem ‘To Helen’?
Beauty and inspiration.
What psychological concept is explored in Poe’s works?
The human psyche and its complexities.
Fill in the blank: In ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’, the house symbolizes _______.
the deterioration of the Usher family.
What is the significance of the color red in ‘The Masque of the Red Death’?
It symbolizes death and violence.
What role does the raven play in ‘The Raven’?
It serves as a constant reminder of the narrator’s grief.
What literary movement is Poe often associated with?
Gothic literature.
What is the central conflict in ‘The Masque of the Red Death’?
The inevitability of death.
Fill in the blank: Poe’s poem ‘A Dream Within a Dream’ explores the theme of _______.
the nature of reality and perception.
What is the relationship between Poe’s works and the concept of the unreliable narrator?
Many of Poe’s stories feature unreliable narrators who distort reality.
What is the name of Poe’s story that involves a mysterious woman named ‘Morella’?
‘Morella.’
True or False: Poe’s works have had a lasting influence on modern horror and mystery genres.
True.
What is the setting of ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’?
An unnamed city, primarily in the narrator’s home.
What is the primary conflict in ‘The Black Cat’?
The narrator’s struggle with his inner demons.
Fill in the blank: In ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’, the narrator insists he is not _______.
mad.
What is the significance of the pendulum in ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’?
It represents the passage of time and the threat of death.
What is the title of Poe’s short story that features a character named Montresor?
‘The Cask of Amontillado.’
True or False: Edgar Allan Poe invented the modern short story.
False. He contributed significantly to the form but did not invent it.
What does the term ‘Poe’s Law’ refer to?
The idea that Poe’s works blur the lines between sanity and insanity.
What are the main elements of Gothic literature found in Poe’s works?
Dark settings, supernatural elements, and psychological horror.
What is the primary theme of ‘The Oval Portrait’?
The dangers of obsession with art and beauty.
Fill in the blank: Poe’s poem ‘Bridal Ballad’ reflects themes of _______.
love and heartbreak.
What is the title of Poe’s poem that discusses the theme of lost love?
‘Lenore.’
What is the significance of the heartbeat in ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’?
It symbolizes the narrator’s guilt and mental instability.
What literary style is prominent in Poe’s ‘The Raven’?
Lyric poetry.
What is the main focus of Poe’s essay ‘The Philosophy of Composition’?
His approach to writing and the crafting of poetry.
True or False: Poe’s works often contain autobiographical elements.
True.
What is the significance of the setting in ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’?
It reflects the decay of the Usher family.
What is the name of the poem that features the refrain ‘nevermore’?
‘The Raven.’
Fill in the blank: ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’ is considered the first _______ story.
detective.
What did Edgar Allan Poe struggle with throughout his life?
Poverty and personal loss.
What is the primary emotion conveyed in ‘Annabel Lee’?
Nostalgia and sorrow.
True or False: Poe was known for his critical reviews of other authors.
True.
What is the primary conflict in ‘The Cask of Amontillado’?
Revenge.
What literary device is prevalent in Poe’s work?
Symbolism.
Fill in the blank: Poe’s poem ‘The Bells’ uses _______ to mimic the sound of bells.
onomatopoeia.
What is the primary theme of ‘The Masque of the Red Death’?
The inevitability of death.
What is the significance of the character Fortunato in ‘The Cask of Amontillado’?
He is the victim of Montresor’s revenge.
What is the name of the poem that describes a young girl’s death and the impact on her lover?
‘Annabel Lee.’
True or False: Poe’s works often include elements of the supernatural and the grotesque.
True.
What is the central theme of ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’?
The struggle for survival against the unknown.
Fill in the blank: Poe’s poem ‘To My Mother’ is dedicated to his _______.
mother.
What is the literary significance of Poe’s work?
He is credited with developing the short story format and modern horror.
What is the name of the character who is the protagonist in ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’?
The unnamed narrator.
True or False: Poe’s works were heavily influenced by his tumultuous personal life.
True.
What is the primary conflict in ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’?
The internal struggle of Roderick Usher and the fate of his family.
