The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

"The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe

*This image was borrowed from http://www.todayinliterature.com/biography/edgar.allan.poe.asp

Edgar Allen Poe was born in Boston, Mass. on January 19, 1809.
After the death of both his parents when he was three, John and Frances Allan raised him as a foster child in Richmond, Virginia.
Edgar Allen Poe excelled academically in the University of Virginia
In 1827, he moved to Boston and enlisted in the United States Army.
His first collection of poems, Tamerlane, and Other Poems, was published that year.
In 1829, he published a second collection entitled Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems
in 1835, he became the editor of the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond.
He married Virginia in 1836.
He published some of his best-known stories and poems including "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," and "The Raven."
After Virginia's death from tuberculosis in 1847, Poe's life-long struggle with depression and alcoholism worsened.
On October 3, 1849, he was found in a state of semi-consciousness. Poe died four days later of "acute congestion of the brain."

*The above information was taken from http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?45442B7C000C070608

My fist impression of “The Raven” is that it was just a good poem. It uses several literary elements to amplify the mood of the poem. As I read again I found a deeper meaning to the poem. The poem was not just about a man mourning over his recently decease lover, “Lenore”. I instead compared the situations between the main character in “The Raven” and Poe's own life events or tragedies. This poem is actually a reflection of Poe own loss, his wife. Everything he wrote about Lenore is exactly what he felt and thought about his own wife.

-by Chen

Stanza 1- 5

In the bleak December the speaker tiredly looking through some literature began to hear tapping on the chamber door, thinking of departed and radiant maiden named Lenore. Suddenly filled with terror the speaker never felt before, the speaker calmed down and gained the courage to see who was tapping on the chamber door, only to see darkness this and nothing more. Standing there wondering who was tapping on the chamber door, peering into the darkness he whispered the word “Lenore” merely this, and nothing more.

Stanza 6 – 8

The speaker began to hear tapping louder than before this time not on the chamber door but on the window. The speaker opened the shutter and in flew a raven that looked poorly in shape but had a stern decorum in expressing. Seeing the raven the speaker wondered if this bird was from the underworld, “Plutonian shore”.

Stanza 9 – 12

The speaker had a feeling he was the first to see this bird figured it would leave in the morning. However, the condition of the bird did intrigue the speaker, wondering the bird’s former master toured it. Still intrigue the speaker sat in front of the bird to examine and understand why the bird croaked “Never more”.

Stanza 13 – 16

Now engaged in the raven the air became denser and a perfume aroma came from no where and the speaker thought the raven could be Lenore. This couldn’t be Lenore the speaker thought, confused the speaker wondered is the raven bird or devil, sent by nature or cast from the Plutonian shore to spread horror in the speaker’s home, wanting to know where is the lovely maiden Lenore but never receiving an answer from the raven only to hear “Never more”.

Stanza 17 – 18

The speaker now wishing the raven go back to where ever it came from, the bird never moved and developed a heinous look in its eyes even demoniac and the speaker soul from out the shadow lifted off the floor.

“And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted- nevermore”

There came be many things interpreted from this ending depending on the person but my understanding is the speaker died metaphorically and went insane in a sense never feeling emotion again.

-by Jeffrey

In the first few stanza's of the poem " The Raven" By Edgar Allan Poe the speaker who is laying in bed on his way to sleep is awoken by a knocking on the door. He merely pushes it away as just the wind and continues to ponder of his lost love Lenore. The rustling of the curtains in the wind startles him so he continues to remind himself its just a visitor to keep himself calm. After mustering up enough courage the speaker confronts the person and tells them that he heard them knocking and when he opens the door he sees only darkness. The speaker closes the door and sits back down , when he sits he hears a tapping on the window. He brushes this aside as just the blowing wind.

The speaker opens the window and when he does he sees a raven sitting on the Pallas. While looking at the raven he begins to smile and the he asks the raven what is his name and the raven replies "never more". The speaker is marveled by this odd name, the raven implies no actions and it only utters the words "never more", he wonders why this is so and begins to conjure up ideas as to why he says this and only those selected words.

                After playing with that idea for a while the speaker begins to think what exactly did he mean, so he sat back in his chair staring at the raving trying to decipher what he meant by never more but the raven sat there motionless, and this image captivated the speakers mind leaving him with no conclusion to his quest.

                The speaker notes the air getting denser from some unseen space, the speaker hears footsteps on the floor and then he says that god has sent him angels from the memory of his Lenore, he asks for the memories of Lenore to be taken away by a ancient Greek drink that is supposed to erase memories, and the raven says to him "nothing more".

                The speaker becomes angry with the bird because he believes he has come to bring him evil prophesies. He angrily shouts at the raven asking him why was his sent here but the raven only replies "never more". He continues to ask him and this time he asks if Lenore sent him, but the raven's reply continues to be the same. The speaker is now extremely upset and he begins to shout, telling someone who I believe to be Lenore, to leave him alone and take the raven with her. Leaving him in his loneliness and to stop knocking at his door. The raven continues to sit then the shadow of the speaker is now on the floor and his soul leaves his body, and he is the same nevermore.

-by Dominique

(top)

Literary Elements in "The Raven"

Stanza 1

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary…” (Internal Rhyme)

“…while I pondered, weak and weary…” (Alliteration)

“While I nodded, nearly napping…” (Alliteration)

“While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping…” (Internal Rhyme)

“…gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.” (Repetition)

"From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost Lenore" : (Repetition)

“chamber door” and “nothing more” (Refrain)

"For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore" : (Imagery)

"And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain" : (Imagery)

Stanza 2

“Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December…” (Internal Rhyme)

“Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow…” (Internal Rhyme)

“From my books surcease of sorrow…” (Alliteration)

“From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow…” (Repetition)

“For the rare and radiant maiden...” (Alliteration)

Stanza 3

“Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors…” (Internal Rhyme)

“Tis some visitor entreating entrance …” (Alliteration)

“Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door- Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door…” (Repetition)

Stanza 4

“Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer…” (Internal Rhyme)

“But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping…” (Internal Rhyme)

“you came tapping, tapping at my…” (Repetition)

Stanza 5

" Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there wondering fearing" "But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token" (Internal Rhyme)

" echo" (Onomatopoeia)

" nothing more" (Refrain)

Stanza 6

"Back into chamber turning, all my soul within burning" (Internal Rhyme)

" tapping" (Onomatopoeia)

" nothing more" (Refrain)

Stanza 7

"Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter" (Internal Rhyme)

" Perched above my chamber door perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door" (Repetition)

" lord and lady" (Alliteration)

" nothing more" (Refrain)

-by Josefina

(top)

Glossary

1. ember- the smoldering remains of a fire

2. surcease- to come to an end

3. entreating- to make an earnest request

4. implore- to call or pray earnestly

5. rapping- to make a short sharp sound

6. lattice- a window or structure of crossed wood or metal strips

7. flirt- to move in a jerky manner

8. flutter- to move with quick or wavering motions

9. obeisance- a movement of the body made in token of respect or submission “Bow”

10. mien- air or bearing especially as expressive of attitude or personality

11. bust- a sculptured representation of the upper part of the human figure including the head and neck and usually part of the shoulders and breast

12. paellas- the goddess of wisdom

13. beguile- to lead by deception

14. decorum- propriety and good taste in conduct or appearance

15. countenance- bearing or expression that offers approval or sanction

16. shorn- to cut with something sharp

17. plutonian- of, relating to, or characteristic of Pluto or the lower world

18. discourse- the capacity of orderly thought or procedure

19. relevancy- relation to the matter at hand

20. ominous- implies having a menacing, alarming character foreshadowing evil or disaster

*This background image was taken from: www.jimgizowski.com/ raven.jpg

(top)