"Sweet Ermengarde" by H.P. Lovecraft Close Reading

Measure reading comprehension and support the development of close reading skills for high school with this set of analysis questions on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “Sweet Ermengarde,” also known as “The Heart of a Country Girl.” A variety of reading question types facilitates preparation for standardized testing scenarios. With an estimated Lexile Measure of 1000-1100, this text and its corresponding guided reading worksheet are appropriate additions to any high school short story unit, especially at the 9th and 10th grade levels. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.

This resource may serve as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development, demonstrating an ability to analyze how complex characters transform and advance the plot and themes by applying logic and citing compelling, meaningful textual evidence. They will also evaluate their peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to advance claims, clarifying or challenging unclear ideas. Using this resource for structured guidance, students, ultimately, will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.

By completing this activity, students will demonstrate the following:

• An ability to analyze context clues and draw logical inferences about characterization/character motivations
• An ability to analyze the text for sexist tropes and articulate their claims rationally and convincingly
• An ability to analyze the significance of an object in the context of the plot
• An ability to find and articulate relevant details in the text
• An ability to apply knowledge of literary devices to the text with an emphasis on how the author employs internal conflict, situational irony, and dramatic irony
• An ability to analyze potential interpretations of the story’s title with an emphasis on its irony