Poe Bio

Which of the following statements accurately represents the relationship between the article's central ideas?

• (A) Edgar Allan Poe was a troubled writer who faced many challenges in adolescence and adulthood. To overcome his personal challenges, he pursued writing and a military career at West Point.

• (B) Edgar Allan Poe experienced a significant amount of loss as a young child and adult. As a result, his most famous works reflect a morbid fascination with death and horror.

• (C) Edgar Allan Poe created and defined new genres of literature. Despite his literary innovation, he lived a troubled and mysterious life and wasn't well liked by contemporaries.

• (D) Edgar Allan Poe struggled to gain popularity and support for his tales of horror during his lifetime. He vented his frustration by viciously attacking other writers in scathing reviews of their work.

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Is the first paragraph of the section "Early Life" an effective way to engage readers on the topic of Poe's literary contributions? Why or why not?

• (A) Yes; it builds a mysterious allure around Poe and his accomplishments by suggesting his own life is as dark as the stories he created.

• ​(B) Yes; it draws in the reader by directly connecting the author's perspective to the readers' own first experiences of reading Poe's most famous works.

• (C) No; it alienates the reader by focusing solely on the lofty literary critics' opinions of Poe's writing, and not popular opinion.

• (D) No; it creates an incomplete and confusing depiction of Poe because it does not thoroughly explain how he became the "Father of the Detective Story."

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Which answer choice BEST describes the structure of the article?

• (A) The article compares and contrasts the writing styles and successes of Poe and his literary contemporaries.

• ​(B) The article details the troubled interpersonal relationships Poe struggled with throughout his life and how they influenced his writing.

• ​(C) The article explains the underlying causes contributing to Poe's prolific and successful writing career.

• ​(D) The article sequences the major events and accomplishments of Poe's life that established him as an important American writer.

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