Generate Halloween vibes in the high school English classroom with these literature activities and assessments covering a short horror story that evokes the works of Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft: “The Silver Coffin” by Robert Barbour Johnson. A reading comprehension quiz, literary analysis worksheet, vocabulary application activity, crossword puzzle, word search, copy of the narrative, and answer keys are included.

“The Silver Coffin” is a piece of psychological horror in which the guardian of a legendary casket helps the narrator combat the threat posed by the evil that lies within. Given its foreboding setting and incorporation of vampire lore, the story is well suited for even the most reluctant readers and pairs especially well with works of fiction like “In the Vault” by H.P. Lovecraft and “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe.

Students will practice and demonstrate the following essential ELA skills:

• Analyzing tone and mood through close reading of Gothic imagery (e.g., “walls dank with moisture and covered with strange lichens that were like a pale leprosy over everything”).
• Evaluating word choice and connotation to understand deeper implications of illness, death, and decay.
• Interpreting figurative language including metaphor, euphemism, onomatopoeia, ambiguity, and allusion.
• Conducting brief literary research (e.g., H.P. Lovecraft and Ebenezer Holt) to connect context and authorial intent.
• Identifying situational irony and evaluating how it shapes the story’s supernatural tone.
• Exploring characterization and internal conflict, especially through the moral dilemmas faced by Mr. Gerald and the old man.
• Inferring theme from Gothic tropes including blurred morality and compassion toward the wicked.