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- QUESTION
The scope of your response is 500-550 words.
Write an analysis of the poem using 3 essential elements of the poem to discuss it (see list below). Also discuss how these elements contribute to the message or theme of the poem. Some elements that you might consider: speaker, situation, setting, theme, tone, language, imagery, figures of speech, symbol, sounds, structure, form. Not everyone will choose to discuss the same elements as it varies depending on which poem you choose.
Do not use any outside sources other than the poem itself in our textbook. Be sure to format your works cited page as a work from an anthology in correct MLA style, and also use parenthetical citations (Heaney Lines 4-5).
| Subject | Literature | Pages | 3 | Style | APA |
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Answer
An analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”
Symbols
Some of the symbols contained within Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” include The Raven itself as it is a symbol of doom and ill fortune. The Raven symbolizes the gloom that faces the narrator upon losing his love known as Lenore. During the time of the poem’s writing, the rave was considered a bird that brought misfortune to people and was greatly feared by people. The poet uses The Raven to symbolize the finality of the narrators gloom as evidence that the narrator’s loss is permanent. When The Raven keeps repeating the word “nevermore” to all the questions that the narrator asks, one is communicating to the narrator that his bad fortune is not about to change. The poet could have used any other bird or even a human being to bring the message of doom and gloom to the narrator, but he chose The Raven because if the finality of its one-word message “nevermore.” If the poet had used a human being, the person would have understood the narrator’s questions and would have been required to respond differently to each question. However, The Raven does not understand the narrator’s questions which agitates the narrator and might have been the cause of his deteriorating state throughout the poem up to the point of madness. Therefore, it is clear that The Raven was chosen to spread the message of doom and gloom, which is what it symbolizes.
Tone
The poem has a sad melancholic tone as it revolves around the loss experienced by the narrator and the pain he feels for losing his lover named Lenore. The somber tone is reflected by The Raven, which is a bird that is closely related with tragedy and is also reflected in the narrator’s repetitive questions to a bird that has only one answer. The description of the setting of the poem and the weather present throughout the poem is an indicator of the sad tone of the poem. The poem is set on a dreary night in December where the winds are howling and the weather is cruel, which emphasizes the gloomy tone of the poem. The narrator’s disposition is also another indicator of the sad tome of the poem as the narrator’s spirit is crushed by the loss of the love of his life, Lenore. He cannot imagine life without Lenore, which is the theme of the entire poem.
The speaker/narrator
The narrator is someone who is tortured by his own thoughts as he mourns the loss of his love, Lenore wondering at the cruelty of the world, which took away his beloved Lenore. The narrator cannot imagine living life without Lenore, which leads us to understand, why he keeps asking The Raven so many questions regarding Lenore’s future. Finally, as the poem progresses, the narrator’s state of mind keeps deteriorating to the point where he finally goes mad as he cannot handle his loss. The events described in the poem point to the fact that the speaker is overwhelmed with grief as he seeks to understand why the gods have taken away his one true love. The narrator imagines God’s presence in his life as a sign that he should forget about Lenore and also the mention of a Seraphim points at the fact that the narrator hopes that his beloved Lenore has gone to heaven to be with the angels.
References
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Poe, Edgar A. The Raven. New York: New York Evening Mirror, 1845. |