Valerie Said:

Christians, what is your opinion on middle school children having to read Edgar Allan Poe?

We Answered:

HEY! Another reason for me to like you...I have already decided that if I have issues with something, I would lt the teacher know.
As far as Edgar Allen Poe is concerened-I know a lot of his stuff was very dark, and I would talk to your child about it, but I am not sure exactly if I would classify it as outright demonic. That's a good question.
Can you do the project with your child? Read it to your child, and explain why you feel the way you do, I think would be the best approach in this situation.

Jack Said:

Can you summorize the Fall of the House of Usher for me?

We Answered:

i just read that in school actually...

so what happens is this narrator is going to go visit his old childhood friend Roderick Usher. He gets to the Usher house and observes the house. it is all broken down, dismal, and depressing. Roderick has a twin sister, Madeline, who is suffering from a mental disease, cataleptical seizures. Roderick is also suffering from mental disease, his being acuteness of the senses.
one day his sister supposedly dies and instead of giving her body up for autopsy, Roderick decides to put her body into a dungeon vault in the basement of the house.
the narrator and roderick live stay at the house for about a week after this. the mental state of roderick begins to affect the narrator and the narrator has trouble sleeping and hears strange sounds.
one night it is very windy out and roderick usher sees glowing objects and mist which the narrator blames on electrical problems or swamp gas.

the narrator reads Roderick's favorite book the "mad trist". as he reads, in the story there is wood door being broken down, and then in real life the narrator swears he can hear the sound of wood cracking also. the narrator reads of a dragon in the story that screams and he thinks he can hear a screaming sound also. in the story a shield falls to the ground and the narrator hears the sound of metall falling somewhere in the house.
at that moment the doors of the room fly open and a ghostlike form of madeline stands there in a bloody white robe. she flies upon roderick, killing him. the narrator flees from the house in fear and looks behind him. the house cracks and breaks, falling apart.

meanings:
all the characters in this story suffered from some form of insanity. the narrator had suffered also from temporary insanity brought about by his experiences in the house.

Roderick knew that Madeline was alive and was suffering from a coma brought on by a catalyptic seizure. he saw her extreme insanity as what he might end up like, so in fear of ending up like her he sealed her up in the dungeon.

Madeline had woken up from her seizure in the coffin in the dungeon. she had broken out of it (the sound of wood breaking) then opened up the iron door of the vault (the screaming noise) and then struggled within the copper archway fo the vault (the sound of metal falling). she then searched out her twin brother to destroy him for his betrayal. both twins died together, a strange fate.

Randall Said:

quick survay?

We Answered:

yes we do!!!
Rogers High :)
In history we have to make a life-sized poster on a famous african-american and I'm doing Jessie Owens!!!

Beatrice Said:

Should I really stop reading love stories?

We Answered:

Read what you want to, you only live once and it's great that you're reading at all, unlike most teenagers. My Sister's Keeper is one of my faves. I don't want to give anything away, but the ending is so shocking! Carry tissues. Seriously, I can't even describe in words how much I love this book.

Pauline Said:

Would this poem be appropriate for a middle school group?

We Answered:

yeah, great =)

Carrie Said:

Does any one go to POe Middle School in Anandale VA

We Answered:

All the students of that Middle School go there, but I don't live near Anandale, VA, nor am I a middle school student. I will research the dates for you though:

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=POe%20M…

http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/brow…


Poe Middle School
7000 Cindy Ln
Annandale, VA 22003 Map

(703) 813-3800 Call and confirm the dates.