Listen&Learn: Edgar Allan Poe

Learn about the famous horror writer from the 19th century.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• critic: a person who gives their opinions about something
• horror: a genre of storytelling that uses fear
• grieve: to feel pain after someone’s death
• praise: positive comments about something
• renowned: famous, well-known
• dispute: disagreement about something

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

Edgar Allan Poe was an American and literary critic. He is known for his horror stories and poems. Poe was born in 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. He started writing poetry when he was a child, and he published his first of poems in 1827, at age 18. However, his early work was not very . In 1845, Poe published his famous poem “The Raven”, about a grieving man who meets a talking raven. This piece gained a lot of praise, and Poe became renowned for his storytelling. Still, he was never paid much money for his work. He also struggled with for many years. Poe’s death in 1849 was almost as as his stories. Even today, there is dispute about what really happened to him.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. Edgar Allan Poe was from
   a. England
   b. the United States
   c. France
   
2. When Poe published his first poetry collection, he was
   a. 9 years old
   b. 18 years old
   c. 27 years old
   
3. In 1845, Poe published
   a. “The Raven”
   b. “The Tell-Tale Heart”
   c. “The Black Cat”

Discussion/essay questions

1. Many of Poe’s stories and poems are very dark and disturbing. Do you like horror stories? Why do you think they appeal to people?

Transcript

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer and literary critic. He is known for his horror stories and poems. Poe was born in 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. He started writing poetry when he was a child, and he published his first collection of poems in 1827, at age 18. However, his early work was not very successful. In 1845, Poe published his famous poem “The Raven”, about a grieving man who meets a talking raven. This piece gained a lot of praise, and Poe became renowned for his storytelling. Still, he was never paid much money for his work. He also struggled with alcoholism for many years. Poe’s death in 1849 was almost as mysterious as his stories. Even today, there is dispute about what really happened to him.

Answers to comprehension questions

1b 2b 3a