The Raven

transcript

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?

– obsessive 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

End rhyme

Rhyme Scheme

End rhyme

Rhyme Scheme

End rhyme

Rhyme Scheme

End rhyme

Rhyme Scheme

End rhyme

Rhyme Scheme

End rhyme – abcbbb

Rhyme Scheme

Internal rhyme

Rhyme Scheme

Internal rhyme

Rhyme Scheme

Internal rhyme

Rhyme Scheme

Internal rhyme

The Black CatMain Characters

Narrator• Kind, animal lover who turns abusive

and insane due to alcoholWife• innocent, patient, caringCats• loyal, tormenting

The Black CatSetting• house and its cellarWhere is the narrator as he writes?• jail awaiting executionWhat crime did he commit?• murdered his wife and catIs he remorseful?• no

The Black CatWhy is the story a flashback?• he starts writing about current

situation and flashes back to the story about how he got in jail

Why did he get caught by police• the cat was making noises in the wall

The Black CatCompare the two cats in the story• Pluto – all black• Second – all black except for white

spot on the breast, missing eyeHow does the narrator describe

himself?• A normal man who turns violent and

crazy due to alcohol

The Black CatHow does the narrator behave?• Neurotic, violentOn what does the narrator blame his

behavior?• alcohol, first catWhat is the disconnect between the

way he views himself and his actual behavior?

• He views himself as sane but his actions say otherwise

A Rose for Emily1. “So she vanquished them, horse and

foot, just as she had vanquished their fathers thirty years before about the smell.” Where does the smell come from?

A. Miss Emily’s unclean houseB. the decaying body of Homer BaronC. a rat or snake that was killed in Miss

Emily’s yard

A Rose for Emily1. “So she vanquished them, horse and foot,

just as she had vanquished their fathers thirty years before about the smell.” Where does the smell come from?

A. Miss Emily’s unclean houseB. the decaying body of Homer BaronC. a rat or snake that was killed in Miss

Emily’s yard

A Rose for Emily2. “She told them that her father was not

dead.” Why does Miss Emily tell the visiting ladies this information?

A. She has a good imagination.B. Her father is not really dead.C. She is too proud to accept their pity.

A Rose for Emily2. “She told them that her father was not

dead.” Why does Miss Emily tell the visiting ladies this information?

A. She has a good imagination.B. Her father is not really dead.C. She is too proud to accept their pity.

A Rose for Emily3. “’Do you suppose it’s really so?’ they said

to one another. ‘Of course it is. What else could …’” What fact does this open-ended sentence refer to?

A. Miss Emily’s possible relationship with a laborer

B. The fact that Miss Emily has no family in Jefferson

C. Her father’s legal troubles over the estate of old lady Wyatt

A Rose for Emily3. “’Do you suppose it’s really so?’ they said

to one another. ‘Of course it is. What else could …’” What fact does this open-ended sentence refer to?

A. Miss Emily’s possible relationship with a laborer

B. The fact that Miss Emily has no family in Jefferson

C. Her father’s legal troubles over the estate of old lady Wyatt

The Raven

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