Background

ominous wise omens advise sindevil death asking earnestly charming, coaxing pale an end long ago gesture of respect manner coward ungraceful, awkward songs of mourning trying to figure out incense burner highest-ranked angel temporary relief anything that causes forgetfulness old-fashioned charm knowledge, learning room (often bedroom produced beg sign shutter dignified manner face said felt surprised connection with the topic peaceful sinister, threatening I thought carpeted

the pattern of end rhyme in a poem the use of words that sound like their meaning rhyming words that fall inside a line repeating of rhymes and of words and phrases, helps create the poem’s rhythm, emphasize ideas the repetition of initial sounds Masculine: 1 syllable rhymes (heart, part) Feminine: 2 or 3 syllables (vanity, humanity) near rhyme (imperfect rhyme – close, but not quite) object representing something other than itself a: wearyb: door b: loreb: door c: tappingb: more rappingcroaking tappingshriek rustlingfluttered remember, December 3 rd and 4 th lines of each stanza 4 th & 5 th lines of each stanza – often emphasize key idea last line of each stanza (hook) l. 45: shorn and shaven l. 71: grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt l. 85: evil, devil l. 87: undaunted, enchanted Raven=pain of losing Lenore (will never leave) December’s cold=the speaker’s feeling of emotional coldness

Stanza Summary of EventsOther Notes / Inferences Reading at midnight, almost nodding off, he hears tapping at the door. It’s December. He’s trying to read to keep his mind off lost Lenore. Is Lenore dead? Why December? Cold, dead (like feelings, Lenore) He’s frightened but determines it’s surely only a visitor. Allaying his fear with explanation of sound He musters his courage and speaks to his visitor, opens the door, and discovers no one there. He calls out for Lenore into the darkness and only hears an echo. He hears the tapping again – “it’s just the wind.” Again trying to allay his fears by justifying the sound The raven walks in and perches above his door on the bust of Pallas. The speaker asks the raven his name. The speaker is surprised at the raven’s ability to speak and talks about what a weird name “Nevermore” is. What does this reply foreshadow?

Stanza Summary of EventsOther Notes / Inferences He says, “The raven will abandon me, just like everyone else, and like my hopes.” The bird seems to counter that. He thinks the bird learned the word “nevermore” from an unhappy master, who only knew misfortune. He is pondering what the bird means by “nevermore.” Alliteration: grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt He gets distracted by thinking about how Lenore will never again press her head to the cushion. What personification is used? He calls himself a wretch for failing to recognize that God sent the bird as a distraction from his pain. A change in atmosphere = a change in the speaker’s mood He begs the raven to tell him if he will ever have peace. He says, “Nevermore.” He pushes further and dares to ask if he will be reunited with Lenore in heaven. The raven again says, “Nevermore.” Since the bird doesn’t give him an answer he likes, he gets angry and tells the bird to leave. The raven refuses. The bird will never leave. The speaker will never be able to remove his soul from the bird’s shadow. The narrator will never again see his love. The raven represents the speaker’s pain over the loss of Lenore.