Edgar Allan Poe Visits RMSOn Friday, October 30, Sal St. George, the director of the POE FESTIVAL, brought Edgar Allan Poe to the Middle School to talk with the students about some of his spooky tales, poetry and the mystique surrounding his life. Thank You! |
Photo Gallery of Edgar Allan Poe's Visit to Riverhead Middle School
Riverhead Middle School students study The Raven, Annabel Lee, The Tell-Tale Heart,
The Cask of Amontillado and research and discuss Poe's life and mysterious death.
THE CURRICULUM AND EDGAR ALLAN POE'S VISIT TO RMS
Sal St. George, the director of the Poe Festival, noted, "My mission is not so much to entertain as it is to educate. Plays and readings from authors in both the present and the past is a big part of the Poe Festival. Visiting Riverhead's schools and introducing them to Edgar Allan Poe is just another way to educate kids." One of the most fascinating elements of Edgar Allan Poe is the mystique that surrounds his life and his death as well as his literary works. Poe visited students in English classes taught by Lori Falisi, Ryan Greene, Mindy Benze and Frank Minucci. |
He also made a stop in the Library during an art class and slipped into Martin Faint's English as a New Language (ENL) class. A visit from Mr. Poe, himself, brings this author to life for middle school students in a way that nothing else could do.
English as a New Language teacher Martin Faint noted, "My students were really excited by both Poe's poetry and his visit. They loved the kinetic flow of the poem “The Bells”. Their mouths dropped open at Mr. Poe’s performance and it led to a lively discussion of rhythm and mood. We then discussed how a text can bring a dead poet’s words to life, and talked about American Halloween traditions compared to The Day of the Dead in Mexico." |
Mr. Poe's Visit to the Classroom - A Discussion About Writing
Mr. Poe encouraged the students to write. "Writing will help you work out the questions you have about your own life and the world around you." (See Twitter Video by Mr. Hewitt)
Mr. Poe discussed with the students their own personal efforts at writing fiction. One boy shared a summary of the superhero he had created. Another talked about her female protagonist and the angst she was experiencing in school and in life in general which formed the basis of her story. Mr. Poe encouraged the students to write about an emotional concern and to use the empty page to explore a topic that interests them and about which they have questions. Risk trying something new, he suggested. Don't write about topics that don't move you or explore the topic in a way that has already been done by others. You'll be surprised by your own writing. By the time the story is complete, you will have learned so much about yourself and your questions about life and the world around you. |
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THE TELL-TALE HEART
THE TELL TALE HEART story synopsis: Even though in the tale the narrator notes that this old rich guy had never been abusive to him, he decides to murder him anyway because of his aversion to the elderly man's vulture-like, milky, evil eye. Shortly after killing the old man, the narrator dismembers and hides the body
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beneath the floor of the bedroom.
When two policemen appear at the house early in the AM in response to a neighbor having heard a shriek, the murderer casually invites them in and chats with them in the bedroom. However, he becomes overwhelmed with a sound like the ticking of a clock |
wrapped in cotton that convinces him he can hear his victim's heart still beating beneath the floorboards where he buried him. He thinks the policemen can hear it as well and are mocking him by ignoring the sound. In a frenzied, manic moment, the murderer confesses to his crime.
(See a Glog and Photos from 2014.) |
POE FESTIVAL IN RIVERHEAD, NYRiverhead
Main Street Riverhead, NY 11901 Poe Festival - October 30 - November 1. Trick or Treating, Stories, Music, Parades, Haunted Houses and more. Go to RiverheadLocal to see the full schedule of events. On Friday, October 30th, Mr. Poe visited classes at Riverhead Middle School. |