POEtry
(haha…get it?)
Assignment
This assignment is an exploration of the complexity of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven”. You will construct your own
poem, on any school-appropriate subject you choose, using the exact same structure Poe used in his classic poem. Your
poem is a major grade, and it is due on March 23 (A) / March 24 (B). Here are the specific requirements for
your poem:
You must have 2 stanzas at a minimum/4 stanzas maximum. (A stanza is a “paragraph” in a poem.)
Each stanza must be 6 lines long.
The metrical foot of each line in each stanza must be
Lines 1-5: eight trochaic feet
Line 6: four trochaic feet
A foot is a grouping of stressed and unstressed syllables in a particular order.
A trochee is one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable.
Recall the scanning activity we did in class to help you with this (see below).
Ex.: Once
u pon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
foot 1
foot 2
foot 3
foot 4
foot 5
foot 8
foot 7
foot 6
Rhyme scheme must be abcbbb.
Line 1 must contain an internal rhyme at feet 4 and 8.
Ex.:
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Feet 4 and 8 of line 3 must rhyme with each other, and they must both rhyme with foot 4 of line 4
Ex.:
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
The final word of lines 4 and 5 must be the exact same word.
Ex.:
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
The final word of line 6 must be repeated as the final word of every line 6 of every stanza.
Ex.:
Poe ends every single of his 18 stanzas in “The Raven” with the word, “more”.
Every stanza must contain an intentionally used poetic device. You will have to identify this poetic device and explain the
effect it has on the poem and on the reader, so don’t just “wing it”.
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Rhyme Scheme
(Line 1)
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
(Line 2)
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
(Line 3)
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
(Line 4)
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
(b) door
(Line 5)
(Line 6)
“Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.”
(b) door
(b) more
~from, “The Raven”, by Edgar Allen Poe
(a) weary
(b) lore
(c) tapping