Robison 1 Jared Robison Professor Beno English Composition 101 10 November 2011

The Raven Analysis

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor / shall be lifted nevermore! With this phrase, Edgar Allan Poe concluded the last stanza of The Raven, which would come to be acknowledged, unhesitatingly, as the epitome of poetic verse. This poem is narrated by a man who, haunted with the memory of his lost love Lenore, is visited by a Raven whose sole vocabulary consists of the word nevermore. Initially amused by the birds limited lexicon, the man eventually comes to be tortured by the ravens laconic answer and falls into psychosis and despair. Filled with beautiful imagery and phrasing The Raven offers ample material for erudite contemplation that will inevitably produce a greater sense of appreciation for Poes work. Perhaps the most exemplary characteristic of this piece of literature is its use of four vital poetic tools that, together, unite to form an addicting style of writing that effectively creates an atmosphere of the authors choice. These four apparatuses are termed and defined as follows: alliteration, the recurrence of consonant sounds within close proximity to one another; meter, the basic rhythmic structure of lines in verse; echo, the reiteration of a word or phrase inside the same line or stanza; and repetition, the use of a key word or phrase throughout a literary work. These four principles, together, form the chassis of poetic structure. When successfully employed by an author, poetic structure unfailingly produces a musical pulsation that engrosses the reader. This configuration, however, first must be analyzed before it truly can be appreciated.

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Alliteration is easily identifiable in nearly every section of Poes masterpiece; three instances are apparent in the first stanza alone. The poem utilizes soft, drowsy syllables with the words weak and weary nodded, nearly napping, which effectively communicate a feel of lethargic meditation. However, Poe quickly dissipates this languid atmosphere by inserting a harsh, sharp sound with the words tapping and rapping. Hence, within the first two sentences, the repetition of specific consonant resonances is concisely employed to elicit an emotive reaction. Peppered throughout the remainder of the poem, alliteration is engaged in order to express specific sounds and feelings that are associated with certain actions and occurrences. Perhaps the most succulent example of this literary tool is found in the 13th line, where the phrase And the silken sad uncertain rustling appears. The soft s intonation, used in several other instances, is almost of audible harmonic pitch and aptly articulates the vibration of a curtain- the precise noise Poe desires to annunciate. The meter employed by Poe in the construction of this chef-d'oeuvre is a simplistic trochaic octameter- a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed; each line contains eight of these configurations. However, this seemingly basic cadence is perfectly adapted for the dark, somber disposition of The Raven. The continuous flow produced by the repetitive meter produces a subconscious feel of melancholy and a methodic pattern that emits a sleepy, mysterious air. Plainness notwithstanding, the syllabic design is perfectly suited for the mood intended by the author. Thirdly, echo is utilized in the fourth and fifth line of every stanza, as well as specific, more concentrated instances within those lines. Poe repeats words directly after one another, such as sorrow- sorrow and tapping, tapping; however, the echo effect is used more extensively with the phrases at the end of the fourth and fifth lines of the stanzas. The prime example of this tool

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is displayed in the duplication of the verbiage entreating entrance at my chamber door, the reiteration of which accounts for nearly two lines of verse. Although seemingly redundant when removed from context, the echos ramifications are quite significant when the tool is considered in relation to the entirety of the text. The Ravens repetition of words and phrases in close proximity to one another emits a mournful, hopeless ambience, almost as if the narrator were unconsciously murmuring the words twice due to a depressed mental state. This restatement also intentionally communicates a sense of disconnect that is representative of the narrators separation from his lover, Lenore. The final aspect of the echo consists of its physical auricular definition: when distinguishable sound is reflected back towards it source. A real echo is empty and hollow sounding- lifeless. When applied to the words in Edgar Allans literature, the reader derives a dead, comatose sound; this intonation is indicative of the helpless, dejected condition of the speaker. The final, and most extensively engaged, constituent of poetic structure, repetition, is perhaps the most recognized quality of The Raven. This feature is distinguished from echo by the spatial occurrence of the words being reiterated; essentially, repetition occurs when duplicate phrases are placed at relatively large distances from one another. The repetition of this literature is uncovered in the last word of each stanza. The first third of the poem utilizes the words nothing more, whereas the latter two-thirds employ nevermore. Additionally, the last lines of each stanza, which consist of four stressed/unstressed couplets, are only half the length of the others; hence, nothing more and nevermore are given greater prominence. As the readers mind recognizes the continual presence of these bleak expressions, the repetition finalizes the work of the echo by instilling a greater sense of hopelessness and emptiness. A true, complete

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conceptualization of the narrators despair and gloom is achieved when the manifestation of these recurring terms is recognized. True, when perused merely for unadulterated entertainment, The Raven will provide the observer with temporary enjoyment. However, the reader who invests the time to thoroughly recognize the poetic structure within Edgar Allan Poes masterpiece will indubitably acquire a deeper emotional interaction with the literature and undoubtedly garner a superior sense of appreciation for the authors efforts. Successful in every sense, this superb poem is sure to satisfy any who are willing to discover the secrets of The Raven.

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Works Cited

Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Raven. (Cover Story)." Read 56.11 (2007): 18. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 9 Dec. 2011.