Mr. Dominick
11th Grade American Lit
Edgar Allen Poe Test
Name ______________________________ Date _______________
Score _____/100
Section I-Multiple Choice
Directions: Circle the correct answer to each question. (2 pts. each)
1. Poe lived in all of the following cities EXCEPT
a. Baltimore.
b. Philadelphia.
c. Providence.
d. Boston.
2. In “The Tell Tale Heart,” the narrator refers to the eye of the old man for whom he
cares as the “_________________ eye.”
a. vulture
b. evil
c. hawk
d. Devil’s
3. What individuals are performing the dance of Humanity in Poe’s poem “The
Conqueror Worm”?
a. Clowns
b. Actors
c. Angels
d. Mimes
4. In “The Haunted Palace,” the windows of the palace represent the _________ of an
individual as he or she succumbs to insanity or disease; they are brightly lit in younger
days, but begin to fade after many days have passed.
a. teeth
b. eyes
c. ears
d. mouth
5. In “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” the narrator states that the only luxury C.
Augustine Dupin allows himself are _____________.
a. books.
b. cigars.
c. fine wines.
d. rare pieces of artwork.
6. What is the name of the narrator’s long-lost wife in “The Raven”?
a. Virginia
b. Annabel Lee
c. Lenore
d. Madeline
7. The poetic technique used most frequently in Poe’s poem “Annabel Lee” is
_______________.
a. alliteration.
b. personification.
c. simile.
d. repetition.
8. Who kills Madame L’Espanaye and her daughter in “The Murders in the Rue
Morgue”?
a. The narrator
b. An orangutan
c. C. Augustine Dupin
d. A sailor
9. How does the narrator in “The Tell Tale Heart” dispose of the old man’s body after he
murders him?
a. He buries it in the earth behind the house.
b. He burns the body and simply places the ashes of the old man in the trash.
c. He chops the body up into pieces and places it below the floorboards.
d. He does nothing with the body; it begins to rot, and that is how he is caught.
10. Who is the narrator in “The Tell Tale Heart” most likely speaking to at the beginning
of the story?
a. A prison guard or psychiatrist
b. Himself
c. The old man
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
11. In “The Black Cat,” what image is burned into the narrator’s walls when he checks
the ruins the day after his house burns down?
a. The image of a noose
b. The image of a gallows
c. The image of a cat
d. The image of a cat being hanged
12. The last room at Prince Prospero’s masquerade ball is colored ____________; no one
ventures into this room because the inclusion of a ________ light makes the room seem
exceedingly eerie.
a. black . . . red
b. red . . . black
c. green . . . red
d. purple . . . red
13. “The Masque of the Red Death” can be seen as a(n) _______________, a story that
has a literal meaning but can also be representative of a person, an event, or an idea.
a. fable
b. moral tale
c. allegory
d. eulogy
14. Where does the narrator in “The Black Cat” encounter the second version of his first
cat?
a. An alleyway
b. A bar
c. His basement
d. A library
15. All of the following are characteristics of Gothic fiction EXCEPT for
a. medieval or medieval-type setting.
b. gloomy architecture.
c. vivid descriptions of nature.
d. nightmarish visions under the surface of the “civilized mind.”
16. What sound makes the narrator in “The Tell Tale Heart” confess his crime to the
police?
a. The old man’s scream
b. The beating of the old man’s heart
c. The knocking of the police on his door
d. The barking of a dog in the street
17. At what time of night does the mysterious guest arrive in “The Masque of the Red
Death”?
a. 3 ‘o’ clock
b. 6 ‘o’ clock
c. 9 ‘o’ clock
d. 12 ‘o’ clock
18. In a rage, who does the narrator in “The Black Cat” kill?
a. His wife
b. The second black cat
c. His neighbor
d. A police officer
19. Where is the narrator of “Annabel Lee” at the end of the poem?
a. In his wife’s tomb by the sea
b. Dead because he drowned himself after his wife’s death
c. Living a new wife with his new, younger wife
d. Wasting away as an alcoholic in a pub somewhere
20. In “The Black Cat,” what is the name of the narrator’s first cat?
a. Saturn
b. Mercury
c. Pluto
d. Venus
21. The mysterious guest in “The Masque of the Red Death” comes dressed as what?
a. A court jester
b. A bullfighter
c. A French aristocrat
d. A bloody corpse
22. The mood in “The Raven” can be described by which of the following words?
a. gloomy
b. dreary
c. blissful
d. both a and b
e. both a and c
23. Why does a worm eat all of Humanity at the conclusion of the poem “The Conqueror
Worm”?
a. During Poe’s time, worms were associated with death and decay.
b. Worms were a symbol of new life and renewal during Poe’s time.
c. The seal on Poe’s family crest was of a worm, and thus the worm represents his family.
d. His nickname for his wife Virginia was “little worm.”
24. What question that the narrator desperately wants answered does the raven in “The
Raven” respond to with “Nevermore”?
a. Whether he will die in the near future
b. Whether he will find answers in his “volumes of forgotten lore”
c. Whether he will be reunited with his “lost Lenore” in the afterlife
d. Whether the raven will leave the “bust of Pallas” above his chamber door
25. How many rooms does Prince Prospero have at his masquerade ball?
a. 5
b. 3
c. 10
d. 7
Section II-Short Answer Questions
Directions: Answer the following short answer questions in complete sentences. Give
specific facts from the text(s) to prove your point. You do not need to use quotes, but you
can if you want. Your answers should be approximately one paragraph long. Points will
be deducted for questions answered in incomplete sentences. (10 pts. each)
26. Name three characteristics of Poe’s unique writing style based on the works we have
read during this unit. You can make reference to specific words that Poe tends to use, the
subject matter that he focuses on in his work, and so on. Use specific examples whenever
possible.
27. Choose two of the following themes, motifs, or symbols found in Poe’s poetry and
short stories and explain how each can relate to one specific poem or short story: love
and hate, death and dying, madness, dual personalities, the power of the dead over the
living, the importance of eyes, and the nature of animals.
Section III-Essay
Directions: Answer the question below in a well-developed five-paragraph essay. I
would suggest writing a brief outline of your essay first so that you can organize your
thoughts. (30 pts.)
28. Compare and contrast the narrators in “The Tell Tale Heart” and “The Black Cat.”
Consider the personalities and characteristics of the narrators, the actions that they take
during the stories, how Poe tells the story (for example, whether it is told in first-person,
second-person, or third-person), and whether or not the narrators can be seen as reliable
or unreliable (i.e., whether or not you as the reader can trust the narrator). Make sure you
cover their similarities and differences equally.