The Raven
Edgar Allan Poe
Analyzing Literature Worksheet
Understanding Repetition and Refrain
Poe uses the word “Nevermore” as a refrain, repeating it at the close of eleven stanzas with the
phrase “nothing more” six times. This repetition creates a special effect in sound and meaning.
Often the word occurs either as the answer to a question asked of the raven or as the clincher of a
dramatic point or effect.
Following are some of the situations in which the refrain “Nevermore” is used. Number
the situations from 1 to 5 in the order in which they occur in the poem. Write the number on the
lines at the left.
_____ 1. The speaker asks the raven his name and gets for an answer, “Nevermore.”
_____ 2. The speaker wonders if the raven knows of any “balm in Gilead,” to cure his
suffering, but the raven only replies, “Nevermore.”
_____ 3. When the speaker asks if he will meet Lenore with the angels in paradise, the raven
answers, “Nevermore.”
_____ 4. The speaker wonders whether the raven learned, from some unhappy master who
experienced “unmerciful disaster,” that terrible word, “Nevermore.”
_____ 5. The speaker asks the raven if he will ever forget the lost Lenore and be at peace; the
raven replies, “Nevermore.”
The Raven
Edgar Allan Poe
Name_________________________
Critical Thinking about Reading Worksheet
Making Inferences About the Speaker
Poets often tell a story or create a scene through a speaker. This leads the reader to make
inferences about the speaker in order to understand fully what is happening.
On the line at the right, write the letter of the answer that best completes the sentence.
1. The constant repetition of the word “nothing more” suggests the speaker
is overcome by
a. the curious ability of the raven to talk.
b. despair and hopelessness at his loss.
c. an inability to find other words to express himself.
d. the strangeness of that particular midnight.
1.____
2. The references to the Bible and to classical literature (the “balm in Gilead,” the
“Night’s Plutonian shore,” “Nepenthe,” and “Pallas”) suggest that the speaker
a. has read a lot and probably has a strong formal education.
b. likes the sound of strange words.
c. is a learned professor of French.
d. Is trying to impress the raven.
2. ____
3. The speaker’s solitude and loneliness can be inferred from his use of words like
a. midnight dreary; bleak December; dying ember.
b. napping; rapping; tapping; my soul within me burning.
c. no craven; ancient raven; fowl with fiery eyes.
d. stately; bust of Pallas; sublunary.
3. ____
4. The speaker’s persistent questioning of the raven seems to indicate that he
a. is a lonely person reaching out.
b. is determined to get a conversation started.
c. may be close to hysteria, possibly imagining things.
d. is concerned that the raven may be a member of an endangered species
and in need of protection.
4. ____
5. The nature of the story he tells through this poem suggests that the speaker
a. would profit from a weekend vacation.
b. is interested in animal stories and fables.
c. is prone to exaggerate his problems.
d. is probably susceptible to nightmares.
5. ____