Name ___________________
Period __________________
The Raven: Comprehension Guide
SETTING
1.
Where and when does this poem seem to take place? List the words or lines from the first few stanzas that lead you to believe that this is the setting. (st: 1-3)
2.
How would you describe this setting? Examples: bright and cheery? Stark and barren?
NARRATIVE DETAILS
3.
Why is the speaker of the poem feeling sorrowful? (st: 2)
4.
When the speaker opens the door the first time, what does he see? List the exact lines from the poem that tells you this. (st: 4-5)
5.
When the speaker opens the door the first time, who does he consider that it might be at the door? (st: 5)
6.
When the speaker goes opens the window to see what is making the rapping noise, what happens? List the line(s) that tell you this. (st: 7)
7.
When the speaker asks the birds name, what does the bird reply? (st: 8-9)
8.
What explanation does the speaker give for why the raven can only say one word?
(st: 10-11)

9.
In stanza 14, the speaker suggests that the bird has been sent by God to help him forget Lenore. Make a guess about who Lenore is (was), where is she now, and what are the circumstances of her absence. Complete sentences.
10.
In stanza 15, what does the speaker ask the raven? How does the raven reply?
11.
In stanza 16, what does the speaker ask the raven? How does the raven reply?
12.
Interpret this line, “Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!” What does the speaker want the raven to do? What does the raven reply?
13.
In the last stanza, where does the bird go? Give the line(s) which indicate this.
14.
Culturally and historically a raven has symbolized many things. Some examples include:
Greek mythology = wisdom and prophecy
Norse mythology = memories
Some Native American groups = a god and a cunning trickster
Ancient Brazilian culture = death, the soul leaving the body in the form of a raven
Christian lore = sin and death
To this poem’s speaker, what is the raven a symbol for, that is, what does the ravens presence in his house indicate about the speakers life and future? Explain you answer in complete sentences.