In this class, students will study the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe. Each week we will read, discuss, and analyze Poe's works. Students will learn to identify and describe elements of Romanticism and the Gothic genre while also developing critical reading and literary analysis skills. This class consists of readings, weekly discussion guides, lectures, slide presentations, videos, and independent writing assignments. Students should have some background in literary analysis. 

Week 1: Introduction to Poe and the Gothic
- Biography of Edgar Allan Poe
- Gothic Literature and Dark Romanticism
- Poe's themes and writing style
- Poe's "Philosophy of Composition" 
- In-class reading and discussion of "The Haunted Palace"
- Guidelines, expectations, and resources for the final essay (due in Week 11)
- Homework: Read "The Fall of the House of Usher"

Week 2: Literary Analysis 
- In-class discussion of "The Fall of the House of Usher"
- In-class reading and analysis of "The Tell-Tale Heart"
- Homework: Read "The Black Cat"

Week 3: A Look into Poe's Use of Mythology and Folklore in Short Stories
- *Essay Milestone 1: Topic is due
- In-class discussion of "The Black Cat" (individual story and comparison to "The Tell-Tale Heart"
- In-class discussion of Poe's use of mythology and folklore in "The Black Cat"
- In-class reading and discussion of "Annabel Lee"
- Homework: Read "The Bells."

Week 4: Exploring Psychoanalytic Theory: Doubles, The Uncanny, and More
- In-class discussion of "The Bells"
- In-class discussion of the doubles trope and the uncanny in the horror genre
- In-class lesson on Psychoanalytic Literary Theory
- Homework: Read and analyze "William Wilson" through the lens of Psychoanalytic Literary Theory.

Week 5: Further Poe Works and Literary Concepts
- *Essay Milestone 2: Thesis statement is due
- In-class discussion of "William Wilson"
- In-class reading and discussion of "The Conqueror Worm"
- Homework: Read "Ligeia" 

Week 6: Vampire Symbolism and the Concept of the Sublime in Poe's works
- In-class discussion of "Ligeia"
- In-class discussion of vampire symbolism in literature
- In-class mini-lesson on Edmund Burke's theory of the sublime
- Homework: Read "Berenice" and identify the elements of vampire symbolism and the concept of the sublime

Week 7: More Vampire Symbolism and Gothic Themes
- *Essay Milestone 3: Outline of essay is due
- In-class discussion of "Berenice"
- In-class reading and discussion of "Morella"
- In-class discussion (part two) of vampire symbolism and the sublime in literature and film
- Homework: Read "The Pit and the Pendulum"

Week 8: Poe's Use of Mythology and Folklore in Poetry
- *Essay Milestone 4: Introductory paragraph of essay is due
- In-class discussion of "The Pit and the Pendulum"
- In-class reading and discussion of "To Helen"
- In-class discussion of Poe's use of mythology and folklore in poems
- In-class lesson on ballads
- Homework: Read and identify mythological allusions in "To -- -- -- Ulalume"

Week 9: Romantic Poetry; Detective Fiction
- In-class discussion of "To -- -- -- Ulalume"
- In-class reading and discussion of Romantic poems that feature allusions to mythology
- In-class lesson on the tropes and themes in detective fiction
- Homework: Read and identify the detective fiction tropes and themes in "The Murders in the Rue Morgue"

Week 10: The Influence of Poe's Detective Fiction
- *Essay Milestone 5: Rough draft of essay is due
- In-class discussion of "The Murders in the Rue Morgue"
- In-class discussion of Poe's influence on detective fiction and connections to contemporary literature and media
- Homework: Read "The Purloined Letter"

Week 11: Essays; Poe's Lighter Side and His Enduring Legacy
- *Final essay is due
- In-class discussion of "The Purloined Letter"
- In-class reading and discussion of Poe's "lighter side" poems
- Discussion of Poe's continuing influence on literature and media
- Homework: (OPTIONAL) Gather supplies for next week's Poe Party

Week 12: Sharing, Puns, Memes, and More
- Students share what they learned while writing their essays (brief summary, what surprised them or interested them the most, what further questions they still have, etc.)
- Discussion of favorite Poe works
- Edgar Allan Poe humor
- Perfectly Poe Party