The Oval Portrait by Sydney Ales https://padlet.com/alessyd/j9w5q7j6b8ax en-us 2017-04-20 13:05:25 UTC 2025-12-11 18:08:06 UTC hello@padlet.com Author Bio alessyd https://padlet.com/alessyd/j9w5q7j6b8ax/wish/167246582 Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. When Poe was two years old, his mother died and then his father left. As he got older, he went to college at the University of Virginia. He developed a gambling problem that caused him to drop out due to gambling problems. After that, he then attended University of West Point where he failed as an officer cadet. He then decided to become a poet. At the age of 26 Poe married his cousin who was only 13. In 1847 his wife died from tuberculosis. Then in 1849, Poe died. There are many theories about his death, but to this day his death still remains a mystery.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-387NMCR6w ]]> 2017-04-20 13:08:37 UTC https://padlet.com/alessyd/j9w5q7j6b8ax/wish/167246582 Suspense alessyd https://padlet.com/alessyd/j9w5q7j6b8ax/wish/167248103 “But she was humble and obedient, and sat meekly for many weeks in the dark, high turret-chamber where the light dripped upon the pale canvas only from overhead. But he, the painter, took glory in his work, which went on from hour to hour, and from day to day. And be was a passionate, and wild, and moody man, who became lost in reveries; so that he would not see that the light which fell so ghastly in that lone turret withered the health and the spirits of his bride, who pined visibly to all but him. “ 

Point of Intensity and Dramatic Irony 

The story uses dramatic irony by explaining that the painter has become so into his work that he hasn’t been seeing his wife's health withering. It also is point of intensity because the story is beginning to slow down before the wife dies. 
]]> 2017-04-20 13:13:34 UTC https://padlet.com/alessyd/j9w5q7j6b8ax/wish/167248103 Vocabulary alessyd https://padlet.com/alessyd/j9w5q7j6b8ax/wish/167248290 Stupor - a state of near-unconsciousness or insensibility 
Synonym: Slumber 

Sate - satisfy (a desire or an appetite) to the full 
Synonym: Overfill 

Grandeur - splendor and impressiveness, especially of appearance or style 
Synonym: Richness

Vignette - to produce a portrait by softening or shading away the edges of the subject
Synonym: Picture 

]]> 2017-04-20 13:14:12 UTC https://padlet.com/alessyd/j9w5q7j6b8ax/wish/167248290 Gothic Allegory alessyd https://padlet.com/alessyd/j9w5q7j6b8ax/wish/167248986
  • Supernatural - The portrait itself is so real like that it is almost supernatural. When the narrator first saw the painting it completely woke him and drew all his attention. “That I now saw aright I could not and would not doubt; for the first flashing of the candles upon that canvas had seemed to dissipate the dreamy stupor which was stealing over my senses, and to startle me at once into waking life.” 
  • Revenge - The wife dies because the painter was not paying attention to her. “And be was a passionate, and wild, and moody man, who became lost in reveries; so that he would not see that the light which fell so ghastly in that lone turret withered the health and the spirits of his bride, who pined visibly to all but him.”
  • Mystery & Death - The painter became so caught up in his work he was not seeing that his wife was slowly dying. Once he is done with his painting he turns to find his wife dead. “And then the brush was given, and then the tint was placed; and, for one moment, the painter stood entranced before the work which he had wrought; but in the next, while he yet gazed, he grew tremulous and very pallid, and aghast, and crying with a loud voice, 'This is indeed Life itself!' turned suddenly to regard his beloved:- She was dead!”
  • Justice - The wife was very obedient and good to her husband. She was very happy and beautiful. But she hated the art that took her husband away from her and since he never gave her any attention she died and when he found her he couldn't have her any more. “She was a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full of glee. And evil was the hour when she saw, and loved, and wedded the painter. He, passionate, studious, austere, and having already a bride in his Art; she a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full of glee; all light and smiles, and frolicsome as the young fawn; loving and cherishing all things; hating only the Art which was her rival; dreading only the pallet and brushes and other untoward instruments which deprived her of the countenance of her lover. It was thus a terrible thing for this lady to hear the painter speak of his desire to pourtray even his young bride. But she was humble and obedient, and sat meekly for many weeks in the dark, high turret-chamber where the light dripped upon the pale canvas only from overhead.”
  • Strong Moral Closure - Overall, the whole story shows the relationship between art and life. The art is like the killer responsible for taking the beautiful wife’s life.  
  • Dreams - The painting had a entrancing affect that put the narrator into a spell and he was only focused on the painting.

    • ]]>     2017-04-20 13:16:29 UTC https://padlet.com/alessyd/j9w5q7j6b8ax/wish/167248986     Interesting Video alessyd https://padlet.com/alessyd/j9w5q7j6b8ax/wish/167252758 2017-04-20 13:27:00 UTC https://padlet.com/alessyd/j9w5q7j6b8ax/wish/167252758