Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

”

”

The Raven

The Raven

”

”

„

„

The Raven

The Raven

”

”

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-

1849)

1849)

Setting

Setting



The chamber of a house at

The chamber of a house at

midnight in December.

midnight in December.

Narrator

Narrator



First-person narrator (Persona)

First-person narrator (Persona)

Themes

Themes



The death of a beautiful young

The death of a beautiful young

woman;

woman;



Undying devotion of a lover.

Undying devotion of a lover.

Conflict

Conflict



Conflict between the desire to

Conflict between the desire to

forget and the desire to

forget and the desire to

remember

remember

Poetic structure

Poetic structure



18 stanzas of 6 lines each

18 stanzas of 6 lines each



Trochaic octameter

Trochaic octameter

-

-

a poetic

a poetic

metr

metr

e

e

that has eight trochaic

that has eight trochaic

metrical feet per line.

metrical feet per line.



Each foot has one stressed syllable

Each foot has one stressed syllable

followed by an unstressed syllable.

followed by an unstressed syllable.



Trochaic octameter is a rarely used

Trochaic octameter is a rarely used

meter.

meter.

Stylistic devices

Stylistic devices



Rhymes, including internal rhymes

Rhymes, including internal rhymes

(

(

The rhyme scheme is ABCBB

The rhyme scheme is ABCBB

B

B

and is

and is

consistent throughout the poem.

consistent throughout the poem.

)

)



Rhythm (Trochee: stressed, unstressed

Rhythm (Trochee: stressed, unstressed

syllable patern)

syllable patern)



Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia



Alliteration

Alliteration



Symbols

Symbols



Metaphors

Metaphors

Word choice

Word choice



w

w

eary,

eary,



dreary,

dreary,



bleak,

bleak,



sorrow,

sorrow,



sad,

sad,



darknness,

darknness,



stillness,

stillness,



mystery,

mystery,



lonely,

lonely,



grim,

grim,



ghastly,

ghastly,



gaunt

gaunt

Summary

Summary



A lonely man tries distract his mind from the

A lonely man tries distract his mind from the

memory of the ‘lost Lenore’ by trying to read

memory of the ‘lost Lenore’ by trying to read

‘forgotten lore’ from old books. He is

‘forgotten lore’ from old books. He is

interrupted while he is ‘nearly napping’ by

interrupted while he is ‘nearly napping’ by

‘tapping on his chamber door. As he opens it,

‘tapping on his chamber door. As he opens it,

he finds “darkness there and nothing more”.

he finds “darkness there and nothing more”.



He whispers into the darkness the words

He whispers into the darkness the words

“Lenore”, hoping that his lost love will come

“Lenore”, hoping that his lost love will come

back, but he can only hear “an echo that

back, but he can only hear “an echo that

murmured back the word ‘Lenore!”.

murmured back the word ‘Lenore!”.

Stylistic devices

Stylistic devices



Alliteration

Alliteration

- the repetition of

- the repetition of

consonant sounds, usually at the

consonant sounds, usually at the

beginning of words.

beginning of words.



Assonance

Assonance

- the repetition of vowel

- the repetition of vowel

sounds, usually within words.

sounds, usually within words.



Internal rhyme

Internal rhyme

- the rhyming of

- the rhyming of

words within a line of poetry, not just

words within a line of poetry, not just

at the end of the lines.

at the end of the lines.

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

Interpretation

Interpretation



Poe uses several symbols in the poem. The

Poe uses several symbols in the poem. The

central symbol is the raven itself – the bird

central symbol is the raven itself – the bird

of bad omen. Another symbol is the bust of

of bad omen. Another symbol is the bust of

Pallas.

Pallas.



Other symbols used in the poem include:

Other symbols used in the poem include:

“midnight”, “December”, the chamber,

“midnight”, “December”, the chamber,

which symbolises the loneliness of that

which symbolises the loneliness of that

man, the tempest signifies the isolation of

man, the tempest signifies the isolation of

man.

man.



the composition of a literary work

the composition of a literary work

should be like a mathematical

should be like a mathematical

problem;

problem;



sadness as the highest manifestation

sadness as the highest manifestation

of beauty;

of beauty;



the death of a beautiful woman – the

the death of a beautiful woman – the

most poetical topic in the world,

most poetical topic in the world,

because it is closely connected with

because it is closely connected with

beauty;

beauty;



the refrain “Nevermore” prevents the

the refrain “Nevermore” prevents the

poem from being monotonous;

poem from being monotonous;



the poem is written in a gloomy

the poem is written in a gloomy

mood; filled with demonic spirit; a

mood; filled with demonic spirit; a

strange and melancholic

strange and melancholic

atmosphere

atmosphere

.

.