The Masque of the Red Death - Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

• 1809-1849• Orphan• Married his 13 year old cousin • Cause of death unknown• Gothic genre: death, macabre

Vocabulary1. August (adj): inspiring reverence or admiration;

dignified; majestic2. Dauntless (adj): not easily intimidated; fearless3. Eccentric (adj): deviating from the norm; odd4. Impetuous (adj): liable to act without

consideration; rash; impulsive5. Sagacious (adj): having acute mental discernment

and keen practical sense; wise

Pop Culture Vocab• For each adjective, come up with one pop culture figure

that embodies the meaning of the word. • Write a short sentence that contains an appositive to

demonstrate the meaning of the adjective.• Example:

Lady Gaga, a raw meat-wearing pop star, is eccentric

Color Associations

• For each color, come up with as many associations as you can.

• The associations could be words, feelings, or ideas– Blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet, black,

red

The Masque of the Red Death

BLUE

PURPLE

GREEN

ORANGE

WHITE

VIOLET

BLACK/RED

Allegory: symbolic representation of ideas or concepts through literal terms

Literal Figurative (Symbolic of …)

Allegory: representation of ideas or concepts through literal terms

Literal Figurative (Symbolic of …)

Writing Activity • Write Prince Prospero’s Obituary– A news article that reports the recent death of a person,

along with an account of the person’s life, and information about the upcoming funeral

• Prince Prospero Epitaph– A short text honoring a deceased person, usually written

in poetic verse, sometimes written as a warning to the reader

Famous Epitaphs• Shakespeare:

– Good friend for Jesus sake forbear, to dig the dust enclosed here.Blessed by the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones.

• Martin Luther King, Jr– "Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty I'm Free At Last."

• Anna Hopewell– Here lies the body of our Anna

Done to death by a bananaIt wasn't the fruit that laid her lowBut the skin of the thing that made her go.