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Copywork
About This Passage
Poe reports a sudden disaster in plain cause-and-effect, then ends with a blunt four-word simile — 'like a shot' — that makes the sinking feel instantaneous. Copying it teaches the participial phrase ('bursting open') and how a short, stark simile can deliver a shock.
The corn was then heard to shift bodily, the force of the movement bursting open the main hatchway. The vessel went down like a shot.
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
In your own words, tell the story of this chapter: how Augustus and the narrator save Tiger, how Dirk Peters proves to be only pretending drunk, the lesson about badly stowed cargo, and the storms and quarrels among the crew. Which moment mattered most, and how do you know?
Discussion Questions
- Although Tiger is nearly dead and a great burden, Augustus and the narrator drag him from the box rather than leave the dog who has 'twice' saved a life. How does Poe use this difficult rescue of Tiger to show what the narrator believes he owes the animal, and why does the narrator insist on saving Tiger even at real risk to himself? Use details from the chapter.
- Augustus and the narrator discover that Dirk Peters's drunkenness before the mate and cook 'was a feint.' How does that revelation change your view of Peters, and what kind of ally does he seem in this chapter? Use details from the chapter.
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
Based on whim, not on reason or rule.
Item 2
Filled with water and sank.
Item 3
Deeply regrettable; causing sorrow.
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Critical Thinking
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