Do Now:
2 to a group
Take out Power Paragraph
Pick up a “The Raven” packet
Take out a pen/pencil
Father of the horror story
 American
author and poet
 Best known for his tales of mystery and the
macabre (ma-ka-bruh gruesome, horrible
death)
 Inventor of the detective fiction genre and
contributed to the emerging genre of science
fiction.
 He was the first well-known American writer to
try to earn a living through writing alone,
resulting in a financially difficult life and career.
 Follow
along as you listen to the reading of
Poe’s famous poem, “The Raven”
 If
you feel bold, make some close reading
notes
 Think
about it… what inspired Poe to write
this poem?
Once upon a midnight dreary,
while I pondered weak and
weary,
Over many a quaint and
curious volume of forgotten
lore,
It must be at night. Why is
he weak?
Sounds like he is deep in
thought even though he
isn’t feeling well
Lore- a tradition, wisdom
or teaching.
 Each
group of 2-3 will complete a close reading
of two assigned stanzas.
 You should be discovering…
• What is the imagery?
• What is the mood?
• What do you think it means?
 Once
finished, write in the corresponding flow
chart square what the stanza was about
 Remember,
read, reread… if you do not know a
word… look it up!
 Do
Now:
• Take out “The Raven” packet
• Sit with your group… you will be presenting and
explaining your stanzas to the class
• TAKE GOOD NOTES ON EACH STANZA.
There will be a quiz next week… possibly open note…
 The
narrator is someone who feels tired
and weak and who has possibly stored to
fall asleep while reading in the middle of a
gloomy December night. He passes the
time by reading a strange book. Suddenly,
he thinks he hears someone at his door.
He explains to himself that it is nothing
more than a late visitor knocking at his
door.
 It
is December, and a fireplace had been
lit, but now the fire was going out, and it
cast an eerie glow. To escape his sadness,
the speaker has been reading to find
something in his books that would take
his mind off his lost love, Lenore. He
reveals that Lenore has died when he says
that the angels call her by name
 The
sound of the curtains as they move
makes him nervous. The speaker tries to
calm down by telling himself twice that the
tapping noise (introduced in stanza one) is
only the sound of a visitor knocking on his
door and “nothing more.”
 The
speaker calls out to the supposed visitor.
But when he opens the door he finds only
“darkness there and nothing more”
 He
stands looking out of his door, transfixed
by the “darkness,” the “silence,” and the
“stillness” while his imagination increased.
Finally he whispered the name of his
deceased lover, “Lenore,” and he heard it
echoed in the night.
 He
returns to his room, but the tapping
sound resumes, even louder, and the speaker
determines this time to investigate the
window.
 The
speaker finally reveals the source of the
mysterious tapping noise—a bird. Upon
opening the window, the speaker discovers a
Raven who flies in and sits on top of the
speaker’s “bust of Pallas.”(also known as
Athena goddess of wisdom).
 The
bird’s dramatic presence makes the
speaker forget his sadness for a while. He
compares the bird to a Lord (royalty). He
also suggest that the bird may come for the
underworld (land of the dead).
 He
talks about the bird’s reply to his
previous question making no sense, but then
he asks another questions in which the
bird’s reply does make sense.
He asks the bird if he will leave him, just as
other friends have. The bird replies
“nevermore”
 This
time the speaker is startled to the
Raven’s answer because he thinks it might
make sense. The narrator says to comfort
himself that the raven has only been taught
this one word by a previous master.
 The
speaker thinks about Lenore as he sits
in her chair to speak to the raven
 The
speaker thinks he smells Lenore’s
perfume, and he thinks it is a gift from the
angels. Most likely, he smells her because he
sits in her chair. He starts to become
depressed again and asks the angels to give
him a potion of forgetfulness (nepenthe)
 He
gets mad at the raven for the response to
his last question and accuses the raven of
being evil or the devil. However, he ask him
another question - Is the balm in Gilead?
(meaning will he ever get over his sorrow).
The raven tells him NO.
 He then gets upset again, but ask the raven
yet another question. “will he see Lenore
again (afterlife)?” The raven responds NO
 The
speaker is at his angriest and ask the
bird to leave. The speakers has decided to
continue to be alone in his miserable state of
mind.
 He
ends the poem by telling us that the
raven (which symbolizes death and evil) did
not leave and still sits above his door. It still
sits on the bust of Pallas (knowledge)
indicating that death and evil have
overpowered the speakers wisdom and his
ability to get over the death of Lenore
1.
2.
3.
The narrator attributes qualities of human
thought and intentions to the raven
(personification). What does the narrator
believe the raven is saying or doing to him?
How does the narrator feel about the bird's
presence in his study?
What do you think motivated Poe to write
“The Raven”?

Write an 8 sentence summary of the poem

Make sure to include how Poe adds
suspense in the poem