The RavenBy Edgar Allan Poe

Pages 312-317

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Setting

• Describe the setting of the room.– a chamber, midnight, dark, dreary (think The Simpsons)

• Describe the speaker.– a young student who has lost his love

Plot• What does the narrator expect to find when

he opens the door?– a visitor

• What does he find instead?– “Darkness there and nothing more.”

• What is his first reaction to the raven?– amused, glad to have company

Plot• When the raven first says “Nevermore”

what is the speaker’s guess as to why?– it is the bird’s name

• What is his next guess as to why the raven is saying “Nevermore”?– it is the only word that his master has taught

him to say

Plot• Near the end of the poem what two

questions does the speaker ask the Raven to which it responds “Nevermore”?– Will he get over his suffering?

• “Respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore”

• “Is there balm in Gilead?”– Will he see Lenore again?

• “Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,/ It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”

Literary Elements• The theme of The Raven is best described

as the pain of

• The speaker’s tone toward the raven undergoes what transition?– from amusement to annoyance to rage

lost love.

Inference• We can infer from the ending of the poem

that – the speaker will never escape his despair

Symbols• What does the raven symbolize?

– divine judgment• “perched upon a bust of Pallas”• “Night’s Plutonian shore”• “thy God have lent thee – by these angels he hath

sent thee”• “prophet still, if bird or devil”

Symbols• What does the raven symbolize?

– obessive mourning• “And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating

on the floor/ Shall be lifted – nevermore!”

Onomatopoeia• Which word in the following passage is an

example of onomatopoeia?– “While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly

there came a tapping,/As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door-”

• tapping• rapping

AlliterationAlliterationOnce upon a midnight dreary, Once upon a midnight dreary, I I pondered pondered and and Over many a Over many a and and volume of volume of forgotten lore—forgotten lore—While I While I suddenly there came a suddenly there came a tapping, tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door—at my chamber door—

`Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping `Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door—at my chamber door—Only this, and nothing more.Only this, and nothing more.

whilewhileweakweak weary,weary,

quaintquaint curiouscurious

nodded,nodded,nearlynearlynapping,napping,

Rhyme Scheme

• What rhyme scheme did Poe use in The Raven?

End rhyme

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -Only this, and nothing more.'

Rhyme Scheme

• What rhyme scheme did Poe use in The Raven?

End rhyme

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -Only this, and nothing more.'

Rhyme Scheme

• What rhyme scheme did Poe use in The Raven?

End rhyme

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -Only this, and nothing more.'

Rhyme Scheme

• What rhyme scheme did Poe use in The Raven?

End rhyme

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -Only this, and nothing more.'

Rhyme Scheme

• What rhyme scheme did Poe use in The Raven?

End rhyme

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -Only this, and nothing more.'

Rhyme Scheme

• What rhyme scheme did Poe use in The Raven?

End rhyme

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -Only this, and nothing more.'

Rhyme Scheme

• What rhyme scheme did Poe use in The Raven?

End rhyme – abcbbb

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -Only this, and nothing more.'

Rhyme Scheme

• What rhyme scheme did Poe use in The Raven?

Internal rhyme

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -Only this, and nothing more.'

Rhyme Scheme

• What rhyme scheme did Poe use in The Raven?

Internal rhyme

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -Only this, and nothing more.'

Rhyme Scheme

• What rhyme scheme did Poe use in The Raven?

Internal rhyme

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -Only this, and nothing more.'

Rhyme Scheme

• What rhyme scheme did Poe use in The Raven?

Internal rhyme

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -Only this, and nothing more.'