Subject Areas |
Literature and Language Arts
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American |
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Time Required |
| Five or six class periods. |
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Skills |
| Online research using primary and secondary documents
Comparison of primary and secondary documents
Literary interpretation
Close reading of texts
Group collaboration
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Additional Data |
| Date Created: 11/27/02 |
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Date Posted |
| 11/27/2002 |
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Edgar Allan Poe, Ambrose Bierce, and the Unreliable Biographers
In dying under such mysterious circumstances, the father of the detective
story has left us with a real-life mystery which Poe scholars, medical professionals,
and others have been trying to solve for over 150 years. —From "Death
Theories" on the website of the Edgar
Allan Poe Museum of Richmond, a link from the EDSITEment resource American
Studies at the University of Virginia
[The passing of Bierce was]
terribly beautiful and fitting [and the mystery of his disappearance a] "tragically
appropriate conclusion to a life of erratic adventure and high endeavor" (pp.
49-50). —From Ambrose Bierce (Starrett, Vincent. New York: Kennikat
Press, 1969.) IntroductionBoth Edgar
Allan Poe and Ambrose Bierce wrote stories with—as Poe noted in "The Philosophy
of Composition"—the "consideration of a novel effect … a vivid effect" on the
reader as a central goal. Ironically perhaps, the lives and especially the deaths
of Poe and Bierce have also had a vivid effect on readers, spawning a cottage
industry of theories and biographies, some of questionable reliability. We are,
naturally, curious about the authors and the mysterious demises that seem to some
observers "tragically appropriate" to their lives and art; biographical and first-hand
accounts of Poe and Bierce are undeniably fascinating. But do they—should they—add
in any way to our understanding or appreciation of their work? Can we really know
the truth about Poe and Bierce? How can we gain insight into how they created?
The stories of Poe and Bierce, far from being autobiographical confessions, are
works of art deliberately and carefully crafted to evoke a response in readers.
Such conscious crafting must make us wonder about the relevance and significance
of details about their lives—whether mundane or intriguing—to our understanding
of their work. Note: This lesson may
be taught either as a stand-alone lesson or as a sequel to the complementary EDSITEment
lesson Ambrose
Bierce, Edgar Allan Poe, and the Unreliable Narrator; although designed for
a younger audience (grades 6-8), many of the activities and resources in Ambrose
Bierce, Edgar Allan Poe, and the Unreliable Narrator can be adapted for high
school students as well. Guiding Questions:Can
we equate the narrators of literary compositions with their authors? What distinction
can we make between biographical and other material interesting for its own sake
and information that might provide insight into the work of Poe and Bierce? Learning
Objectives- Cite some basic biographical facts
about Poe (and Bierce, if the optional section is completed)
- Point out
examples in the texts exemplifying Poe's use of craft
- Take a stand on
whether materials outside of the texts, such as biographies and letters, should
influence the way readers understand Poe's texts (and, by implication, any artist's).
Preparing to Teach this Lesson Suggested Activities
1. Do You Know the Author If
You Know the Work? 2. Poe: How
Reliable Are the Biographers? 3.
The Poe Letters: What Can We Learn About Poe's Life? About Poe's Work? 4.
Poe's Death 5. How Did Poe
Compose? 6. The Life and Death
of Ambrose Bierce 7. Should
Authors Be Anonymous? 1.
Do You Know the Author If You Know the Work? Assign
the reading of one of the following works of Poe to individuals or small groups
based on your knowledge of your students (and without identifying the author).
Ask students to consider what kind of person is likely to have written each; tell
them they will be creating psychological portraits of the "authors." If
desired, students can use descriptions of personality
types provided by the Department of the Interior (a link from the EDSITEment
resource Internet Public Library via USA.gov)
to create a profile of the author. Students pick one each of the following: Extraverted
| or
| Introverted
| Sensing
| or
| iNtuition
| Thinking
| or
| Feeling
| Judgment |
or | Perception |
to
create an alphabetic representation (ENTP, for example) of "their" author's personality.
Compare student profiles and solicit evidence
from the texts that influenced student choices before revealing Poe as the author
of all the selections. What did the students already know about Poe? What's surprising
about the selections? If we know the writing, do we know the author? What effect
would knowing Poe was the author have had on the students' reading? Would it have
made it more difficult to read any piece objectively? If
desired, take this opportunity to share with students a short biography of Poe
such as Edgar
Allan Poe (Biography by X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia), a link from the EDSITEment
resource Internet Public Library. 2.
Poe: How Reliable Are the Biographers? Reviewing
some brief biographical accounts will demonstrate to students their unreliability
and, by extension, one very practical problem with attempting to use biographical
information in interpreting literature. If we don't really know what the author
was like or what happened to him/her, how can we use that information reliably?
To answer this question, the class will look at the following four biographies
of Edgar Allan Poe: Divide the class into
groups of four students each. Download, copy, and distribute the chart "Unreliable
Biographers" on page 1 of the PDF
file. First, all group members should read the brief biography Edgar
Allan Poe on The Sesquicentennial
of the DEATH OF EDGAR ALLAN POE, a link from the EDSITEment resource American
Studies at the University of Virginia. Using key words from the chart questions,
and dividing the tasks among group members, students should skim the other three
biographies for answers to the questions. Directions are provided on the chart.
What did students learn about the reliability of the biographies? As
Gioia and Kennedy noted in their brief biography Edgar
Allan Poe: Poe's posthumous reputation
sustained grievous and long-lasting damage from a libelous biography by Rufus
Griswold, whom Poe himself had appointed his literary executor, and rumors, mostly
unfounded, circulate to this day about Poe's mental state and personal habits. Poe's
famous tales of the grotesque made it easy to believe Griswold, easy for readers
to associate Poe with his mad characters. Is that a useful connection?
3. The Poe Letters: What Can We
Learn About Poe's Life? About Poe's Work? Reading
authors' letters can give us information about and insight into their lives. But
even when authors make direct statements about their work, readers have to be
careful how they use the information for interpretation. Even personal letters
are not absolutely reliable. People sometimes remember events incorrectly or fabricate
to make themselves look better. However, Poe did confide in his "Muddy," Maria
Clemm, the mother of his deceased wife. Letters are certainly helpful in documenting
Poe's activities and state of mind shortly before his death. They could help eliminate
some of the theories about his death that have been advanced; however, the question
students should keep in the forefront of their minds is the extent to which such
material can help readers understand Poe's work. Part I: What Can We Learn
From the Letters About Poe's Life?Have student groups scour the following
letters from the Edgar Allan Poe Society,
a link from the EDSITEment resource Internet Public
Library, for answers to the questions on the chart "Can Poe's Letters Provide
Any Answers?" on page 2 of the PDF
file (see Preparing to Teach this Lesson, above,
for download instructions): - Edgar
Allan Poe to Maria Clemm - July 7, 1849
- Edgar
Allan Poe to Maria Clemm - July 19, 1849 (NOTE: "Mania a potu," also known
as delirium tremens, is agitation, tremors, and hallucinations caused by withdrawal
from alcohol dependence.)
- Edgar
Allan Poe to Maria Clemm - @ August 28, 1849
- Edgar
Allan Poe to Maria Clemm, September 10, 1849
- Edgar
Allan Poe to Maria Clemm, September 18, 1849
The most commonly accepted
theory of the cause of Poe's death has been the effects of alcohol. Having looked
at the letters Poe wrote toward the end of his life, are students more or less
inclined to believe that theory? Part II: Can We Make Connections Between
Poe's Letters and his Work? If students are
not already familiar with it, have them read (or read to them) "The
Tell-Tale Heart," available on the EDSITEment resource American
Studies at the University of Virginia. In it, the narrator denies that he
is mad. What in the text belies that claim? How does something as craft-related
as sentence structure (passages such as "I undid the lantern cautiously—oh, so
cautiously—cautiously") reflect the apparent madness of the narrator? Next,
share the letter Edgar
Allan Poe to Maria Clemm - July 7, 1849 with the entire class. In it, Poe
writes, "I was never really insane," sounding quite a bit like the narrator
of his story. Does Poe's claim (as well as any other evidence in the letter) make
the students think he was or was not insane? Is there any chance the narrator
of "The Tell-Tale Heart" was never really insane? Now
share with the class at least the opening sentence of the article "The
Trial of James Wood." which is attributed to Poe, though not with certainty.
Written in 1840, before the publication of "The Tell-Tale Heart," the article
(regardless of its authorship) establishes that the insanity defense was used
in the mid-19th century. Is it possible the narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart"
is relating the story to establish an insanity defense? Interested students will
find the entire article quite intriguing, especially if Poe is the author. The
class has discussed the story based solely on the text and in connection with
a Poe letter and a contemporaneous news article. Do the students feel any approach
was more valid (or enlightening) than another? Was any approach invalid? Is it
best to cast a wide net and read all available materials, or does that take away
from the power of the text itself? 4.
Poe's Death The article "Death
Theories" on the website of the The Poe
Museum of Richmond, a link from the EDSITEment resource American
Studies at the University of Virginia, lists—and provides the sources for—15
different theories about Poe's death proposed over the years, including beating,
epilepsy, diabetes, carbon monoxide poisoning, and even murder. Why so much interest?
Poe is said to be perhaps the only author
with whom virtually every American is familiar (a century and a half after his
death!). Share with the class a work characteristic of Poe's grotesque tales such
as "The Cask of Amontillado"
or "The Tell-Tale
Heart" Why do students think these stories have endured? Why are we less familiar
with Poe's work that is not in the horror/mystery genre? Could it be because of
our morbid fascination with Poe's life? Because Poe was so in touch with madness
that he could write about it convincingly? Because people are simply drawn to
good tales about the morbid side of life? Is there a connection between the morbid
nature of Poe's most familiar work and the morbid fascination with his death?
Does knowing something about Poe's struggles in life or the mystery of Poe's death
make students feel any differently about his tales? Do they believe authors' lives
should be studied to better understand their work? Students
interested in the controversy over Poe's death can conduct further research on
the issue. Some suggestions may be found in the first bulleted section under Extending
the Lesson, below. 5.
How Did Poe Compose? Have the students
read (or read to them) "The
Raven," available from the Edgar Allan Poe
Society, a link from the EDSITEment resource Internet
Public Library. Then, share excerpts from Poe's "The Philosophy of Composition"
on pages 3-5 of the PDF file (see
Preparing to Teach this Lesson, above, for download instructions).
How does Poe claim he composed "The Raven?" Do students believe Poe when he describes
how he created the piece? Does that knowledge change their reading of "The Raven?" 6.
The Life and Death of Ambrose Bierce (optional for students who have read some
of Bierce's work) Ambrose Bierce was also
a master of the macabre and grotesque, and a similar controversy swirls around
his death. Students who have read some of Bierce's work and who want to try out
their newly practiced literary sleuthing abilities can, after getting some background,
evaluate a purported account of Bierce's death. For
background on Bierce, students should consult the Ambrose
Bierce Chronology available on Don
Swaim's The Ambrose Bierce Site, a link from the EDSITEment-reviewed website
Internet Public Library. The website of the Ambrose
Bierce Appreciation Society, also a link from Internet
Public Library, features articles on The Life of Bierce and The Death of Bierce
(see left-hand content links). Now students
are ready to read California
copy, by George F. Weeks - Part 32, CHAPTER XXXI, available from the collection
California As I Saw It:
First-Person Narratives of California's Early Years, 1849-1900 on the EDSITEment
resource American Memory,
and to make a judgment about its accuracy. Though much of the chapter is about
Bierce, especially page 289, you can scroll or use the FIND function in the EDIT
menu of your browser to locate especially relevant portions.
7.
Should Authors Be Anonymous? The contemporary
author Salman Rushdie lived under a death threat for years because some people
were offended by the content of his work. In support of another author faced with
a similar reaction, Rushdie said, "Anyone who cares about literature should…at
once defend the autonomy of the literary text, its right to be considered on its
own terms, as if the author were as anonymous as, well, the authors of the sacred
texts. And within a literary text, it must be possible to create characters of
every sort. If novelists can't depict Nazis or bigots without being accused of
being Nazis or bigots, then they can't do their work properly." Having
looked at a variety of Poe material, do students now agree or disagree with Rushdie?
Was any of the Poe material outside of the texts indispensable? Would we do better
to keep authors anonymous and find meaning only in the texts themselves? Ask each
student to formulate a written statement representing his/her stand on the issue.
Extending the Lesson- Students
interested in the controversy over Poe's death can conduct further research on
the issue. The website of the Poe Museum of
Richmond, a link from the EDSITEment resource American
Studies at the University of Virginia, provides background on the controversy
as well as a list of 15 different theories in its article "Death
Theories." A good college library in your area might have some of the sources
listed there for reading about the various theories. The site Edgar
Allan Poe's House of Usher, a link from the EDSITEment-reviewed website Internet
Public Library, offers the article Did
Poe Die from Rabies?. The Edgar Allan Poe
Society of Baltimore, another link from Internet
Public Library, offers a lengthy article on the subject entitled Poe's
Death. The EDSITEment resource American
Memory, in its collection The
Nineteenth Century in Print: Periodicals, features Griswold's account of Poe's
death in the article "Edgar Allan Poe" (The International Magazine of Literature,
Art, and Science. Vol. 1, Issue 03A. October 1, 1850.). Griswold's account
of Poe's death begins on Page
338 and ends on Page
339.
- Students interested in the problems with Poe's biographies can
find Griswold's account of Poe's life in the article "Edgar Allan Poe" (The
International Magazine of Literature, Art, and Science. Vol. 1, Issue 03A.
October 1, 1850.), beginning on Page
325 and ending on Page
344, available through The
Nineteenth Century in Print: Periodicals collection of the EDSITEment-reviewed
website American Memory.
- Students interested in reading more of the authors' works online can
search for "Bierce" or "Poe" on the Books
Collection of the EDSITEment resource Internet
Public Library. Poe materials can also be found through the collection EDGAR
ALLAN POE: Tales, Sketches and Selected Criticism on the EDSITEment-reviewed
website American Studies at the University
of Virginia.
- Interested students can read Poe's letters. The EDSITEment
resource American Studies at the University
of Virginia offers Poe
Letters; and the website of the Edgar Allan
Poe Society, available via a link from the EDSITEment resource Internet
Public Library, features an extensive online collection of letters, along
with information and links, at Poe's
Letters.
Selected EDSITEment Websites
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