Jennifer Clagett

SLM 521

Web Drop-In #2

Poe's Life and Works

Edgar Allan Poe was a very unique author and poet from the American literary tradition. For the next week, we will begin to study some of Poe's work. Before we begin, I would like you to examine his life, and how you believe it affected his work. For this activity I would like you to visit the website listed below. This website contains a variety of information on Poe's life, his writing career, and his death.

Click here to visit the site: PoeStories.com

http://poestories.com/index.php

1. Click on the link to his Biography, and read about his childhood, his life in the army, his writing career and his death. Take notes on this reading, and be sure to cite the source in MLA format. For help with MLA citations, visit the MLA Formatting and Style Guide.

2. When you have finished taking notes, click on the link to his poetry, and read through the poem, "Dream Within A Dream." Answer the following questions about the poem:

Who does the speaker of this poem address? What makes you think this?

What is the speaker's tone?

What do you think the speaker means when he says, "All that we see or seem / Is but a dream within a dream"?

3. Write a short paragraph describing how you think this poem might be a reflection of the difficulties Poe faced in his own life.