As we read:

“The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe

Find an example of each and highlight in the assigned color:

Onomatopoeia

Alliteration

End rhyme

Internal rhyme

Repetition
 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,
5As of someone 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.
10Eagerly I wished the morrow; vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease1 of sorrow, sorrow for the lost Lenore,.
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore,
Nameless here forevermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

15Thrilled 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."

20Presently 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; ---
25Darkness there, and nothing more.
Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word,
30Lenore?, 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, something louder than before,
"Surely," said I, "surely, that is something at my window lattice.
35Let 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.
40Not the least obeisance2 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 Pallas3, just above my chamber door,
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

45By 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.
1
Surcease- an end
2
Obeisance- a gesture of respect, a bow
3
Pallas Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom
 Tell me what the lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore4."
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

50Much 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 upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
55With such name as "Nevermore."
But the raven, sitting lonely on that 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;
60On the morrow he will 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
65Followed 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;
70Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore --
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore." 

Thus I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

75To 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 lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

80Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by seraphim5 whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee -- by these angels he hath
Sent thee respite---respite and nepenthe6 from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, O quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!"
85Quoth 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:
90Is there--is there balm in Gilead?--tell me--tell me I implore!"
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

4
Plutonian shore- Pluto is the Greek god of the underworld—the land of darkness also called Hades. Separated
5from the world of the living by several rivers, hence the “shore”
5
A type of angel
6
Nepenthe a sleeping potion to relieve pain and sorrow
 "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,
95It 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."

"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!
100Leave 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

105On 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 lamplight 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!
110Answer each question in complete sentences.

1. How would you describe the atmosphere created by the setting? Which images in the beginning o the poem
create this atmosphere?

Very creepy and dark. Mysterious even as we learn more and more about the raven and the setting.
115 Chamber door gives me the impression of a cold wet cellar room, like in a basement.
“midnight dreary, wet and weary.”
Sorrow

120 2. In line 101, what do you think the speaker might mean when he begs the bird “Take thy beak from out my
heart”?

He wants the raven to leave him alone. He knows the Raven can see and feel his emotions and the narrator
does not like this. He wants to be left alone and stop being reminded of his loss.
125
3. The speaker’s tone changes as the Raven gradually turns from a comic figure into a demonic figure.
Explain (with words from the poem) how we see this tone change in the speaker’s word choice. Use the
suggestions to guide you:
1. The raven’s first appearance (43-44) “sad fancy” “grave and stern”

2. The thoughts the raven inspires (71-74) “ghastly gaunt” “Croaking”” fiery eyes”

3. The purpose the speaker attributes to the raven (81-84) “wretch” “respite and nepenthe” “evil”

135 4. The speaker’s command to the raven (97-98) “shrieked” “loneliness unbroken”

5. Any additional piece not covered here? “placid bust” (55) “broken” (61) “unhappy master” (64)

140 4. Is there evidence in the last stanza that the speaker goes mad? Explain.
He sees the shadow on the floor. He talks of the bird watching him on his nightstand as a dreaming demon.
This could be true and he could just be overreacting to the bird due to fright, or he could have gone mad.

5. How did the poem’s sound effects affect your response to the poem? Give an example of how Poe used the
145 sounds of his words to inspire a response in his audience.
I think that how the poem was set up and the rules it followed made the poem easier to read and digest. We
knew that certain areas would rhyme and have alliteration, so it helped the theme of the poem flow better.
He used onomatopoeia to make the poem creepier and more realistic as we could imagine the sounds and
the shadows.
150

1. Many take the Raven as a symbol—it functions as a real raven in the poem, but it also has a broader,
155 figurative meaning. What, in your opinion, does the Raven symbolize? Why do you suppose Poe would
choose a raven, rather than a chicken, hawk, sparrow, or other bird?
I think that the Raven is a symbol. The narrator was obviously going through some sort of loss or pain and I
think the Raven is a tool to express his emotions and take it out. The Raven reminds him of this loss and
what he did wrong. I believe that technically the animal could have been anything, but the raven works best
160 due to its mysterious vibe and dark presence.
 2. Some say that the raven is a figment of the speaker’s imagination. Some say that it is a bird sent from hell
165 to torment the speaker.  What do you think the raven is, and why do you think that it is there?

I think that any of these points could be argued. Perhaps the bird was real and just happened to stumble into his
window, but he imagined him talking and everything else because he was looking for a way to counsel his pains and
emotions but had no one to talk to.

170
3. We will watch The Simpson’s Treehouse of Terror episode inspired by “The Raven” how do the images of
the poem translate to the medium of cartoon? Are they mocking to poem? Or are they doing it justice/

It was not necessarily a satire of the poem. It used the same poem, and it was not bad, it just was funny.
The part where Homer was calling out to the picture of his dead wife was actually pretty good. If they
175wanted to make it more serious and scary like the actual poem, they could have but they did not
because it still had to be interesting and funny for the Simpsons audience.