About the Author
Edgar Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of indigent actors. Poe’s father had deserted the family earlier, so at […]
Raven
Setting and Overview
OVERVIEW As usual with Poe’s poetry, and in accord with his theory, “The Raven” is not a long poem. In its 108 lines, however, are […]
Themes and Characters
As Poe proclaims in “The Philosophy of Composition,” the aim of his poem was to elevate the soul, a goal that could best be reached […]
Literary Qualities
Probably the first aspect of “The Raven” to strike most readers is the phonetic devices employed by the poet to achieve what he calls “sonorous” […]
Ideas and Topics for Papers
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION 1. Critics have suggested that, by taking the bird as such an omen and by reacting to it as he does, the […]
Related Titles
Poe’s “The Philosophy of Composition” explains in detail how Poe created “The Raven.” This essay, written the year after the poem was composed, sets forth […]