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Loading... The Raven [poem] (1845)by Edgar Allan Poe
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Instead of "Lenore," the main character gets the Raven who repeats, "Nevermore." Sometimes I'm slow to pick up on symbolism and other literary devices and simply appreciate the story for its mood and more direct meanings. However, "The Raven" lets even someone as straightforward as me appreciate it for what it is: the narrator hopes in vain that the rapping at his doors and windows are those of Lenore, or the wind, but instead a Raven moves in and in response to all his verbalized hopes, "Nevermore." Sometimes things in life are simply gone. Meanwhile, I don't see why the protagonist isn't excited to have a stoic new roommate. Sounds like he sticks around. The Raven is a poem that can be appreciated on several levels, not the least of which is construction. One of the most perfectly constructed alliterative poems ever penned, who has not thrilled to "and the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain"? It trips off the tongue and at the same time it calls up a perfect image of a Gothic library with heavy curtains that should not, but do, rustle. It is a study in loneliness, mourning, stress and madness. As the narrator tells us the tale of the raven's visit, he gradually degrades from someone who is attempting to find logical explanations for this event to someone who completely believes in the supernatural nature of the bird. He can no longer think rationally, because he asks repeated questions for which he hopes to get a positive answer but which can only get the one word response that the bird is able to give, "nevermore". Whatever hope he may have had of recovering from the loss of his love or gaining some relief from his suffering, even in the next life, is vanquished by the repeated denials of the bird. His attempts to forget his loss and his love are seen as impossible. In the progress of the poem, we witness a man sink from loss to loss to hopelessness. In the end, he no longer clings to any remnant of his sanity. For him, the bird, "bird or devil", is something far more than an earthly creature, and it remains forever, just as his memory does, before his eyes, impossible to avoid. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to Publisher SeriesIs contained inThe Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings: Poems, Tales, Essays, and Reviews (Penguin Classics) by Edgar Allan Poe Classics Illustrated #4: The Raven & Other Poems (Classics Illustrated Graphic Novels) by Edgar Allan Poe The Complete Tales of Mystery and Imagination; The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym; The Raven and Other Poems by Edgar Allan Poe The Works of Edgar Allen Poe in One Volume: Poems, Tales, Essays, Criticisms with New Notes by Edgar Allan Poe The Raven and the Monkey's Paw: Classics of Horror and Suspense from the Modern Library by Uncredited The Best of Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, The Cask of Amontillado, and 30 Others by Edgar Allan Poe Chills and Thrills: The Ultimate Anthology of the Mystical, Magical, Eerie and Uncanny by Natasha Tabori Fried 90 Masterpieces You Must Read (Vol.1): Novels, Poetry, Plays, Short Stories, Essays, Psychology & Philosophy by Various Has the adaptationInspiredHas as a student's study guide
Presents Poe's haunting poem, which explores the terrifying truths that lurk deep within the human psyche. No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)811.3Literature English (North America) American poetry Middle 19th century 1830–1861LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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