19th Century Literature
and Themes: Poe and Chopin
Webercise – Ms. Shaer’s English Class
Themes in Poe
http://www.litcharts.com/lit/poe-s-stories
1. Hover your mouse over one of the stories
we have read. Assemble a list of the top
three themes shown on the site for each
story.
2. Now hover your mouse over each of the
boxes in the “Themes” key on the left.
Which themes seem to occur the most
across all three stories?
3. Click on the “themes” box at the very top
of the page and explore the definitions for
each theme. Choose one theme and
explain where it is found in Poe’s work(s).
4. Compare the themes and issues explained
on the site to those we spoke about in
class. Categorize all of them based on
those that you think are the most important
to the story’s overarching meaning, with #1
being most important and #6 being least
important.
5. Explain your rationale for your answers in
Question 4 by justifying why you chose the
themes for the #1 and the #6 spot.
6. Click on the “Background Info” tab at the
top of the page. Examine his life story and
compare his works’ themes with his life
story and historical/literary context. Did his
life or historical time frame inspire his
work? In what ways?
Story 1:
Themes:
Story 2:
Themes:
Story 3:
Themes:
#1.
#2.
#3.
#4.
#5.
#6.
Poe’s Poetry
http://www.gradesaver.com/poes-poetry/study-guide/themes
7. List at least four themes that apply to more
than one of Poe’s poems or short stories.
8. Choose one theme that does not contain
examples of a poem we have read in class
in the description. Argue for the theme’s
presence in one poem or short story we
have read using whatever supporting
details from the text you can recall.
9. Discuss what you think the most important
theme is out of all the themes given on the
page and why.
Poe’s Short Stories
http://www.gradesaver.com/poes-short-stories/study-guide/themes
10. Construct a list of the four most relevant
themes to the stories we have read in
class.
11. Compare the themes found on the last
Poetry page to the themes found here.
Discuss how they differ and how they are
similar.
12. Analyze the presence of the theme of the
power of human resolve within one of the
stories we have read, and argue for or
against its importance in the story.
Chopin’s The Awakening
http://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-awakening/themes
13. Which of these themes seems the most
important to the time period Chopin was
writing in and why?
14. Consider the last paragraph of the
“Convention and Individuality” section and
construct an argument for or against the
last statement at the end of the section (3-4
sentences).
15. Write down all of the themes you find to be
most important and relevant to the text’s
message.
The Awakening Themes
http://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-awakening/themes
16. Which of these themes seems the most
important to the time period Chopin was
writing in and why?
17. Read the site’s explanation of female
gender roles in the 19th century in the
section about “Women’s Rights,
Femininity, and Motherhood”. How is this
theme shown in the novel?
18. Consider the last paragraph of the
“Convention and Individuality” section and
construct an argument for or against the
last statement at the end of the section (3-4
sentences).
Chopin’s Themes Continued
http://www.katechopin.org
19. Make one prediction about Chopin’s life
before reading the page.
20. Explore the links at the top of the page
from “Chopin’s childhood” to “Her death”.
Compare your prediction to what you
actually found on the site about her life.
21. Choose one theme from the site under
“themes” and argue how its appearance in
The Awakening might connect to her life.
Was she inspired by her life? Traumatized
by it? How did this inspire her work?
Venn Diagram
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/venn_diagrams/
Create a Venn Diagram on this site with two overlapping circles. One will be labeled “Poe” and
the other “Chopin”. Use the tools available on this program to categorize the themes found in
each author’s works, putting themes in the overlapping parts of the circles when themes are
used by both authors. Fill out the chart below once you are finished, and be sure to save your
Venn Diagram to be submitted online with this webercise!
22. List one theme that you placed only in the
Poe circle and defend your reasoning for
placing it there. Why doesn’t that theme
also fit for Chopin’s work?
23. List one theme that you placed only in the
Chopin circle and defend your reasoning
for placing it there. Why doesn’t that theme
also fit for Poe’s works?
24. List one theme you placed in the
overlapping section of the two circles and
explain your rationale for placing it there.
How do both authors have this theme in
common?