The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
Poetry Analysis
Your first job is to understand the poem. Answer the following questions:
Who is the speaker?____________________________
Who are the characters?_________________________________
What is the setting of the poem?________________________________________
List the events of the poem (One sentence per stanza)
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Vocabulary:
pondered = thought
lore = story
bleak = sad, black and cold
wrought = presented
uttered = said
implore = ask
entreating = asking for
obeisance = gesture of deference, respect
beguiling = charming
pallid = pale
Quoth = quoted
mien = manner of
dirges = sad songs
respite = rest from
craven = cowardly, mean-spirited
quaff = drink quickly or recklessly
nepenthe = a drug providing a way of forgetting something
countenance = bearing, manner
Underline the vocabulary words on your copy of the poem.
Sound devices:
Alliteration – the repetition of consonant sound, usually at the beginning of
words
Assonance – the repetition of vowel sounds
Internal rhyme – the rhyming of words within a line of poetry, not just at the
end of the lines
On the copy of your poem, highlight examples of alliteration, assonance and
internal rhyme, use different colors for each and give a key. Use this website:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/share/raven/start-fl.html
Gothic connection:
Explain how this poem is an example of Gothic style. Use at least one quote to
illustrate your point.