"The Sphinx" by Edgar Allan Poe Quiz and Close Reading Questions Bundle

For many high school readers, horror and psychological fiction are genres that maximize engagement with literature. “The Sphinx” by Edgar Allan Poe features plot elements consistent with both genres: a cholera epidemic, social isolation, omens, fear of death, and more. With this bundle of high school resources covering “The Sphinx,” English teachers will save valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. Included are the following: a multiple choice, plot-based quiz; a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading analysis questions; the public domain narrative; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. With these materials, students will:

• Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
• Examine how complex characters think, behave, and interact
• Explore character motivations
• Define complex words as they are used in context
• Analyze nuances in words with similar meanings
• Choose the most appropriate synonym to replace a given word without changing fundamental meaning
• Paraphrase information
• Make logical inferences based on context clues
• Explain how a given detail (the fact that it was “an exceedingly warm day”) is an example of paradox
• Apply knowledge of various literary devices including hyperbole
• Identify several examples of the narrator’s self-awareness
• Identify several examples of the narrator’s questionable judgment
• Support claims and ideas with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence
• Write ideas with clarity, logic, and precision