The Raven
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe（1809-1849）
• an American poet, short-story writer,
editor and literary critic, and is
considered part of the American
Romantic Movement. Best known for his
tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe
was one of the earliest American
practitioners of the short story and is
considered the inventor of the detectivefiction genre. He is further credited with
contributing to the emerging genre of
science fiction. He was the first wellknown American writer to try to earn a
living through writing alone, resulting in
a financially difficult life and career.
Life
He lived a short and tragic life.
• (1) His childhood was a miserable one. He lost both of his
parents when he was very young and then he was adopted by
a wealthy merchant, John Allan. Poe’s relation with the Allans
was unhappy.
• (2) He entered University of Virginia and then West Point but
did not finish.
• (3) He worked as editor and writer most of his life and he was
always poor.
• (4) At 27 he married his thirteen-year-old cousin, whose death
in 1847 left him inconsolable.
Significance
• father of modern short story
• father of detective story
• father of psychoanalytic criticism
Achievements
He wrote all kinds of literary productions. Among all his works, his poems
and short stories are more famous.
• (1) Poems
– A. Theory
• Poems should be short, concise and readable at one sitting;
• The aim of poem writing is beauty; the most beautiful thing described by a poem is
the death of a beautiful woman; the desirable tone of a poem is melancholy;
• He opposed didactic poems;
• He stressed the form of poem, especially the beautiful and neat rhyme.
His poetry theory is not fair at all time. For example, according to him, Paradise
Lost is not a good poem.
– B. Famous poems: “The Raven”, “Annabel Lee”, “To Helen” etc.
– C. All his poems were written according to his poetry theory and his poems
have strong dreamy color.
Achievements
• (2) Short Story
• A. Theory
• B. Sample: “The Fall of the House of Usher” (P143.)
Features of his works
• a. Gothic elements
• b. deep analysis of human psychology (He noticed
subconscious of human mind nearly one hundred
year before Freud. ) (He was also the first American
author who took neurotic characters as main
characters in his stories.)
• c. precursor of detective stories (e.g. “The Murders
in the Rue Morgue”) and science stories
Evaluation
• Poe remained the most controversial and most
misunderstood literary figure in the history of
American literature.
• Emerson dismissed him in three words “the jingle
man”，Mark Twain declared his prose to be
unreadable. And Whitman was the only famous
literary figure present at the Poe Memorial
Ceremony in 1875.
• Today, Poe’s particular power has ensured his
position among the greatest writers of the world.
Conclusion
• style: ordinary, traditional
• language: mannerism
• a controversial figure in American literary history
(Poe was criticized by several famous American
writers, such as Emerson, Henry James and Mark
Twain. However, his works was welcomed in Europe,
especially in France.)
• great influence on aesthetism, William Faulkner,
Baudelaire
Academic Vocabulary
• Alliteration - the use of words that begin with
the same sound near one another (as in wild
and woolly or a babbling brook ).
Academic Vocabulary
• Internal Rhyme - rhyme between a word
within a line and another word either at the
end of the same line or within another line.
Academic Vocabulary
• End Rhyme - in poetry, a rhyme that occurs in
the last syllables of verses.
Academic Vocabulary
• Rhyme Scheme - A rhyme scheme is the pattern of
rhyming lines in a poem. It is usually referred to by
using letters to indicate which lines rhyme.
The Raven: Web quest (individual or in
groups)
• Use the following websites to complete the
guide:
• http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/raven/startfl.html
• http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides2/Rav
en.html#The%20Raven
• http://teachersfirst.com/lessons/raven/st1.cfm
What to focus on…
• What are your impressions of the poem's
speaker and atmosphere?
• What emotions/feelings might the speaker be
experiencing?
• How can a reader tell the mood and tone of
the poem, after hearing only the opening
stanzas?
• What words, images, and details does Poe
provide to create this effect?
Poe’s Mysterious Death (as a class)
• Visit "Knowing Poe" and click to launch the interactive quest
entitled, "It'll Be the Death of Me..."
• Find the "file cabinet" in the library basement--you'll know it when
you see it.
• Read the clues located in each folder in the file, and jot your notes
down on your worksheet.
• When you reach the end of the interactive journey, you will need to
select what you feel is the most likely cause of Poe's death.
• Upon completion of the tutorial, briefly summarize the reason for
your choice on your worksheet. This "diagnosis" and your
explanation will serve as your "exit card" for today.
• http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/person/death.asp
“The Raven” - Poetic Parody
• A parody is an imitation (usually intended to be humorous) of a literary
or artistic work.
• Assignment:
• Write three or more stanzas of a parody of "The Raven." You might use
another bird or animal in place of the raven, change the reason for the
speaker's sorrow, or invent a new message for the intruder to utter.
Whatever you change, try to follow Poe's meter and rhyme schemes so
that your parody will be recognizable. Create your parody to have a
theme.
• Additional Notes:
• Assignment must include a title
• Assignment must be typed
• Assignment must include a graphic (extra credit)
• Patterned rhyme scheme ABCBBB
• Three stanzas, six lines each
• You may work in PARTNERS!
The Raven Parody Examples
•
The Raven Parody
Once upon a class so boring I was sleeping and loudly snoring,
Dreaming of my home and forgotten chores-While I slumbered, nearly drooling, suddenly I met the flooring,
I got up quickly to escape detection, detection by Mrs. Moore-"Oh my gosh" I muttered "I just fell onto the floor-only that and nothing more"
Ah, distinctly I recall there was laughing all down the hall
And each step she'd taken toward me made me ponder even more.
Eagerly I wished to die;--vainly I had to lie.
From my mind came a sigh, sigh for the knock on the door-for the quick and annoying rap which continued on the door-Sleepless here for evermore
And the loud, annoying laughter of each and every child embarrassed me
Filled me with frantic thoughts never thought before;
So that now, to stop the questioning of my teacher, I stood repeating
" It was not me that fell to the floor-some other classmate of mine fell to the floor-That's the truth and nothing more."
Continuing with Poe
• We’re going to select groups (or, if we can’t
handle that, I can pick them).
• Then, we’re going to select different works
from Poe to read in our groups.