This assignment is taken from the Explanatory Writing Prompt on page 139 of Springboard, which asks that you “explain how Poe uses verbal irony in “The Cask of Amontillado” to emphasize the evil intentions of Montresor. Be sure to:

• Create a sentence that introduces your topic.

  • Basic model sentence: In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgard Allan Poe uses verbal irony to _[description of effect created by using verbal irony]_.”

• Cite textual examples of verbal irony.

  • You must make it clear why these are examples of verbal irony and how they contribute to the effect you describe. (You may want to define verbal irony early. Protip: give an example of verbal irony, describe what makes it verbally irony - but without using the term - and THEN note that this is called verbal irony. This is a great way to define things without saying “the definition of X is Y,” which is really boring)

• Include commentary sentences that explain the importance or the effect of the irony.

  • You should have 2-3 sentences of your own writing for each example used, and you need multiple examples. I would encourage a very short paragraph to introduce the story & the point you want to make (2-4 sentences), a paragraph with 2-3 examples and explanation of why they matter/what they mean (6-9 sentences), then a concluding paragraph that makes big points & wraps up (3-5 sentences).

• Use appropriate parallel structure of multiple ideas within a sentence. I’ll be impressed if anyone uses parallel phrases or clauses!

Goals are to offer a critical read of the text, identifying the function of verbal irony and exploring how these choices demonstrate the author’s craft.

Exemplary Work will be grammatically accurate with thoughtful examples and commentary to create an engaging read.