Poetry Essay/EDGAR ALLAN POE; The Raven
Write an analysis of the poem using 3 essential elements of the poem to discuss it (see list below). Also discuss how these elements contribute to the message or theme of the poem. Some elements that you might consider: speaker, situation, setting, theme, tone, language, imagery, figures of speech, symbol, sounds, structure, form. Not everyone will choose to discuss the same elements as it varies depending on which poem you choose.
Do not use any outside sources other than the poem itself in our textbook. Be sure to format your works cited page as a work from an anthology in correct MLA style, and also use parenthetical citations (Heaney Lines 4-5).
POEMS for FURTHER STUDY
EDGAR ALLAN POE
The Raven
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
5 “ ’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this, and nothing more.”
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow
10 From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Nameless here for evermore.
p. 601
p. 602
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
15 So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
“ ’Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;
This it is, and nothing more.”
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
20 “Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;—
Darkness there, and nothing more.
25 Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore!”
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”—
30 Merely this, and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon I heard again a tapping somewhat louder than before.
“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—
35 Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—
’Tis the wind and nothing more!”
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not an instant stopped or stayed he;
40 But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
45 “Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore—
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’sPlutonian shore!”
Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.”
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
50 Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore,
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door—
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as “Nevermore.”
55 But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing farther then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered—
Till I scarcely more than muttered “Other friends have flown before—
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.”
60 Then the bird said “Nevermore.”
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—
65 Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of ‘Never—nevermore.’ ”
But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
70 Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore—
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;
75 This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o’er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o’er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
80 Swung by angels whose faint foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
“Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”
Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.”
p. 603
p. 604
85 “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—
On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—
Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!”
90 Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.”
“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil—prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distantAidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
95 Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”
Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.”
“Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked upstarting—
“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
100 Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”
Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.”
And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
105 And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted—nevermore!
1844
Retrived from:
Poe, Edward, Allan. “The Raven.”The Norton Introduction to Literature.11th ed. Ed. Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2014. 518-519. Digital file.
The scope of your response is 500-550 words. Use this rubric to help understand how your writing will be graded.
Write an analysis of the poem using 3 essential elements of the poem to discuss it (see list below). Also discuss how these elements contribute to the message or theme of the poem. Some elements that you might consider: speaker, situation, setting, theme, tone, language, imagery, figures of speech, symbol, sounds, structure, form. Not everyone will choose to discuss the same elements as it varies depending on which poem you choose.
Do not use any outside sources other than the poem itself in our textbook. Be sure to format your works cited page as a work from an anthology in correct MLA style, and also use parenthetical citations (Heaney Lines 4-5).
Rubric Name: Poetry Essay Rubric
Criteria Level 5 Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 Level 0
Criterion 1: Thesis 10 points
The essay has a concise thesis that includes the author’s name, title of the poem, and the 3-4 major points of the essay as well as the theme 8 points
Essay is a mixure of level 5 and level 3 6 points
The essay has a thesis, but it could be more concise, or is missing the author’s name, title of the poem, or one of the 3-4 major points of the essay 4 points
Essay is a mixture of level 3 and level 1 2 points
The essay has severely weak thesis or it is missing TWO or more of the following– author’s name, title of the poem, or major points of the essay 0 points
Fails to achieve the requirements, such as no thesis present.
Criterion 2: Evidence 15 points
The essay uses and effectively incorporates plenty of specific evidence from the poem, including summary, paraphrase, and direct quotes, to support its thesis statement and points 12 points
Essay is a mixture of level 5 and level 3 10 points
The essay includes some evidence from the poem, which might include summary, paraphrase, and direct quotes, but the effectiveness is lacking, such as not clearly supporting the thesis and main points. 8 points
Essay is a mixture of level 3 and level 1 5 points
The essay’s use of evidence is significantly lacking; summary, paraphrase, and direct quotes are in error or ineffective; a thesis is not present so that any evidence presented has nothing to support; main points are unclear so that any evidence present has nothing to support; other errors in evidence hamper the effectiveness of the essay. 0 points
Failure to achieve the criterion
Criterion 3: MLA Style 10 points
The essay uses correct MLA documentation style with no more than one overall minor error 8 points
Essay is a mixture of level 5 and level 3 6 points
The essay uses MLA documentation style with two to four minor errors 4 points
Essay is a mixture of level 3 and level 1 2 points
The essay uses MLA documentation style, but there are five or more errors or no MLA documentation is absent 0 points
Failure to achieve the criterion
Criterion 4: Title 5 points
The essay has an effective title that reflect the thesis 4 points
Essay is a mixture of level 5 and level 3 3 points
The essay has a title, but may not reflect the thesis 2 points
Essay is a mixture of level 3 and level 1 1 point
The essay has a title that only reflects the assignment 0 points
Failure to achieve the criterion, such as no title present
Criterion 5: Development 20 points
The essay fully develops at least 3-4 points that analyze the poem 15 points
Essay is a mixture of level 5 and level 3 10 points
The essay attempts to develop the points, but somewhat fall short of their effectiveness 5 points
Essay is a mixture of level 3 and level 1 3 points
The essay attempts to develop the points, but falls severely short of being effective. 0 points
Failure to achieve the criterion, such as the working failing to develop the points.
Criterion 6: Mechanics and Style 10 points
The essay is free from mechanical and technical errors, and is written in standard academic English following MLA essay formatting 8 points
Essay is a mixture of level 5 and level 3 6 points
The essay has no more than four mechanical, technical, or formatting errors. 4 points
Essay is a mixture of level 3 and level 1 2 points
The essay has five ore more mechanical, technical, or formatting errors. 0 points
Failure to achieve the criterion
Criterion 7: Terminology 10 points
The essays uses the correct terminology associated with writing about and analyzing poetry to include associating the terminology or device to the meaning or theme of the poem. 8 points
Essay is a mixture of level 5 and level 3 6 points
The essay uses terminology associated with writing about and analyzing poetry, but the usage has minor errors, misunderstandings, or misinterpretations, or the work only marginally associates the terminology or device to the meaning or theme of the poem. 4 points
Essay is a mixture of level 3 and level 1 2 points
The essay lacks accurate terminology associated with writing about and analyzing poetry or it does not accurately or effectively associate the terminology or device with the theme or meaning of the poem. 0 points
Failure to achieve the criterion, such as the complete absence of terminology associated with writing about and analyzing poetry or it does not associate the terminology or device with the theme or meaning of the poem.
Criterion 8: Assignment 10 points
The essay fulfills the assignment as defined 8 points
Essay is a mixture of level 5 and level 3 6 points
The essay attempts the assignment, but somewhat falls short of achieving success 4 points
Essay is a mixture of level 3 and level 1 2 points
The essay attempts the assignment, but severely falls short of achieving success. 0 points
Essay fails to meet criterion, such as failing to address the assignment.
Criterion 9: Organization 10 points
The essay is effectively and logically organized in support of the thesis 8 points
Essay is a mixture of level 5 and level 3 6 points
The essay attempts organization, but the overall set up is lacking 4 points
Essay is a mixture of level 3 and level 1 2 points
The essay is severely deficient in its organization 0 points
Failture to achieve the criterion
Overall Score Level 5
90 or more Level 4
79 or more Level 3
59 or more Level 2
39 or more Level 1
21 or more Level 0
0 or more
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