The Raven
Edgar Allen Poe
Kevin Thomson
November 4th 04
Theme and Abstract Literary Devices
This poem, the Raven, was written in January 29th, 1845. The Author, Edgar Allen Poe, was a morbid writer who often tied his work into real life. The poem begins thusly:
‘Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore’
This is giving the setting and the background to the story, the narrator up late reading an interesting volume, but is barely able to keep his eyes open. I understand this now to be merely his way of taking his mind off his ‘lost Lenore.’ (line 10). To understand Poe’s meaning of this poem, you must first understand Poe himself. Poe was a sad man who lost his mother, his step-mother, and later his wife to the same disease. When referring to Lenore, Poe could very well be referring to his mother, although it would make more sense that he would be talking about his wife, Virginia, even though she wasn’t dead at the time. She was, however, already sick. When he first hears the tapping, he simply dismisses it as a simple visitor tapping at his ‘chamber door- ‘and nothing more than that. At that he falls into slumber, dreaming of his ‘lost Lenore.’ It gives brilliant imagery of a ‘Bleak December,’ with the ‘dying ember’ s on the floor. He then goes to admit that his reading the volumes of ‘forgotten lore’ were only vain attempts at taking his mind off his ‘lost Lenore,’ who he calls a ‘radiant maiden.’
Again he hears the signs of a stranger outside his chamber, and he begins to become hopeful, thinking that it might be, at last, his ‘lost Lenore.’ He then rushes to his study door, and opens it wide, but finds nothing there, but he stands there a long time, whispering for Lenore.
The poem continues on much in the same sense, with the introduction of the Raven, which is the narrator’s answer to his grief. He asks the Raven some questions, about his loss for Lenore, if he will be with Lenore in heaven, as if the Raven can answer his questions. Of course, as most know, the Raven answers “Nevermore,” each and every time.
The theme of this poem is on death, and how the death of a loved one. The Raven, while obviously a figment of the narrator’s imagination was sent by the god of the underworld and, to the narrator, was sent to torment him. The Raven must have then been taught by the god the underworld to speak only one word, knowing that each question would be answered by this simple question, and while the narrator doesn’t want to believe. This is possible, as ravens can be taught to utter simple words, and while at the beginning, the narrator seems to take to heart the answers he is given, eventually he realizes the pointlessness of these questions, how each answer is the same. He eventually becomes enraged with the ‘bird of yore,’ and tells it, rather rudely, to leave, and of course the bird says ‘nevermore.’
The raven had everything to do with the theme of this poem. It was a symbol of the narrator’s longing for Lenore, how when he couldn’t bear it anymore, the raven came to give him comfort. So the theme of this poem is how much the death of a loved one can impact your thought and your mind, how we are often driven to madness by the overwhelming grief. When the narrator is asking him question, (Is there balm in Gilead?) he’s asking the Raven for comfort, hoping that the raven will give him the comfortable answer, but the Raven never does, and thus the narrator becomes angry at the bird, as it is a reminder of his sorrow, and of the sad truth. The narrator maintains in the line:
"Other friends have flown before --
On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before."
That he has been this sad before, that it will be mended in time, but the Raven, knowingly knows that his grief will never leave him. Each time the narrator asks the Raven if there is something of a good nature,
(eg.
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! -- prophet still, if bird of devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us -- by that God we both adore--
Tell his soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore --
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
)
The Raven’s answer always tells him that there is no way out of his grief. When he asks if he can simply forget through chemical means, the Raven states he can’t. When he asks if he will see Lenore again in heaven, the Raven says ‘Nevermore,’ or no, basically.
At the end of the poem, then, Poe illustrates the point even further, with the following:
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor,
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted -- nevermore!
In these last few lines, the narrator shows how the Raven, as a symbol of both wisdom and his longing for Lenore, will stay with him always, in a way that will also sustain his madness. The shadow is almost a stain, casting it upon his floor. So the shadow, something of pure darkness, which will stay forever in his room, as will his thoughts of Lenore,
Which will leave him, nevermore—
Common Literary devices
Stanza 1 of 3 (First three stanza’s)
Line(s)Literary Device
1-while I pondered, weak and weary –Alliteration
- dreary, weary –Internal Rhyme
-weak and weary –Assonance
--Imagery
2-Quaint and Curious –Alliteration
-forgotten lore –Assonance
3-nodded, nearly napping –Alliteration
-napping, tapping –Internal rhyme
3,4-…napping..., rapping, rapping –Internal Rhyme
--Imagery
4-Rapping, rapping –Repetition
4,5-Lenore, Lenore --Repetition
2,4-lore, door – Rhyme
5-Tis some visitor –Assonance
5,6-door, more –Rhyme
Stanza 2 of 3
1-remember, December –Internal Rhyme
-bleak December -- Metaphor
1,2-remember… ember –Internal Rhyme
--Imagery
2--Personification, embers
3-morrow, borrow –Internal Rhyme
3,4-morrow…sorrow –Internal Rhyme
4-surcease of sorrow –Alliteration
5-rare and radiant –Alliteration
-radiant maiden –Assonance
-rare and radian maiden --Hyperbole
-Imagery
4,5-Lenore, Lenore –Repetition
5,6-Lenore, forevermore –Rhyme
Stanza 3 of 3
1-silken sad uncertain –Alliteration
-purple curtain –Assonance
--Personification, curtains
1,2--Imagery
3-beating, repeating –Internal Rhyme
3,4-beating, repeating… entreating –Internal Rhyme
4,5--Repetition
5,6--door, more –Rhyme
* Because it is used so much, and has more meaning, repetition is used as a literary device.
Common Literary Devices
Rhyme Scheme: (First three stanza’s)
* includes the middle rhyme, if applicable, as it is also important
a,a
b
c,c
c,b
b,b
b -end stanza-
d,d
d,b
e,e
e,b
f,b
b -end stanza-
h,h
b
i,i
i,b
i,b
b -end stanza
“The Raven”
by Edgar Allen Poe
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.'
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
`'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
This it is, and nothing more,'
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
`Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; -
Darkness there, and nothing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!'
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!'
Merely this and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
`Surely,' said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more!'
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as `Nevermore.'
But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow will he leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bird said, `Nevermore.'
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
`Doubtless,' said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
Of "Never-nevermore."'
But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking `Nevermore.'
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet violet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
`Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee
Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'
`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'
`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'
`Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting -
`Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'
And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!
Self-Composed Poems
1)
The sun descends, the birds fall still,
The day ends, the night to fill.
From the ashes of Day’s Beacon,
Springs a flame of white ash moon.
With the dawn of night proclaiming,
And the hooting owls of maiming,
Each in unison, with the turning,
Of the day to daunting darkness.
The Day’s Done, the Night’s Tomb,
The Night’s won, the Day’s doom.
Why will not this terror end?
Is there room the make amends, with
These unsafe streets of the shadows,
Bright and bathing in sunlight fallow.
Of the daunt, the day is free.
Gone the haunt, the day to me,
Is nothing but a time of peace,
Of the night are just police.
2)
I knew a man, a man I knew,
Who loved too much the colour blue.
His wife, Barlou, was lovely and true,
Though love her not the colour of blue
She did love the colour of green,
A colour, too, most often seen.
Mack, her son, was never of green,
Nor that of blue he had ever been.
Their son was an odd fellow,
As he loved all things yellow.
And his sister of the age below,
Was not fond of colour yellow.
Jane was fond of the colour --black,
A colour not used by her brother Mack.
None of family enjoyed much black,
Not even Jack, who’s at the back.
He, the youngest, the carelest of all,
Loved not the colour of spring nor fall.
What colour loved he? He loved them all.
Perhaps it is that different, when you are small.