once upon a midnight dreary

565 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Symbolism in "The Raven" by Poe

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary”, is one of the most famous poetry lines in America. Edgar Allan Poe had a life most people would think of as crazy. He wrote a famous poem called “The Raven” that is very strange like most of the poems he wrote.
Edgar Allan Poe had a devastating childhood and a dark life as an adult. He was born January 19,1809, under the name of Edgar Poe. His father soon abandoned Poe and his fate is unknown. When Poe was two years old his mother died. John Allan who was part of the Ellis and Allan Tobacco Merchants then adopted him. Poe attended many schools because he could never manage to stay in one school very long. In 1826, he went to the University of Virginia for not even one year and was kicked out because he never paid his gambling debts. Poe started living a dark life after he was kicked out because he had to live on the streets. He married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm in 1836. He was happy until 1847 when Virginia Clemm died. He was so unhappy that a year later he attempted suicide. The circumstances of Poe’s death remain a mystery. But after a visit to Norfolk and Richmond for lectures, he was found in Baltimore in a pitiable condition and taken unconscious to a hospital where he died on Sunday, October 7, 1849. He was buried in the yard of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
“The Raven” is a very great poem that has many literary devices and has great meaning. Edgar Allan Poe wrote many poems but “The Raven” is probably his most famous poem. “The Raven” was chosen because in 4th grade my teacher read it to the class and since then it has had a lot of meaning. This poem is about a ”rapping at my chamber door” and then he realizes a raven causes the rapping on his chamber door. The raven is always saying “Nevermore” and then he goes so crazy he kills himself. He dies because the speaker says “And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor/ Shall be lifted- nevermore!” “The Raven” contains many literary devices such as symbolism, metaphors, sensory images, and personification. The raven symbolizes the character conscious. A metaphor in “The Raven” is the raven being a “a thing of evil” which is represented throughout the poem.

Show More
Related

  • Lost Love in The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe tells the story of a bereaved man who is grieving for his lost love in the poem, “The Raven.” During a dark and gloomy night, the man hears a knock at his door. Hoping that it is Lenore, his dead lover, coming back to him, he goes to open the door. Unfortunately, he is only met with emptiness and disappointment. Shortly after, a raven flies into the room through the window and lands on the bust of Pallas. The man begins to converse with this dark and mysterious bird. In response to everything the man says, the raven repeats one dreadful word: “Nevermore.” The symbolism of the raven being connected to death, and the man’s interaction with the dark bird reveals to readers that he is going through the stages of dying. Subsequently, the repetition of the bird’s one worded reply makes it known that the man will never see Lenore again because there is no afterlife.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Diction In The Raven

    363 Words  | 1 Pages

    In,”The Raven”, Poe utilizes diction, syntax, and rhymes to convey his theme of depression towards his lost love, Lenore. The raven flew into Poe’s home uninvited and stayed perched on his chamber door. In the story, the raven symbolizes the undying grief he has for Lenore.

    Read More

  • The Raven

    1705 Words  | 4 Pages

    “The Raven” is a magnificent piece by a very well known poet from the 19th century, Edgar Allan Poe. Poe was well known for his dark and haunting poetry. Along with writing poetry, Poe was also recognized for his Gothic-style short stories. “The Raven” is one of Poe’s greatest accomplishments and was even turned into recitals and numerous television appearances. “The Raven” tells a story about an unnamed narrator whose beloved Lenore has left him. A raven comes at different points throughout the poem and tells the narrator that he and his lover are “Nevermore.” Poe presents the downfall of the narrator’s mind through the raven and many chilling events. By thorough review and studying of Edgar Allan Poe’s work, one can fully understand the single effect, theme, and repetition in “The Raven.”

    Read More

  • Edgar Allen Poe Rough Draft Essay

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    Paragraph A: Edgar Poe was born on January 19, 1890. He was born in Boston Massachusetts. His parents were Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe Junior. His mother was brought to America when she was nine years old. She was a stage performer and a very talented actor. Elizabeth died December 8 at age twenty four in Richmond Virginia in 1811. The cause of her death was tuberculosis. His father came from a good Baltimore family. David was a doctor and a heavy drinker; he was not as talented as his wife Elizabeth. David left his family in 1810, leaving Elizabeth with three small children to support on her own. Poe had an older brother named William Henry Leonard and a younger sister named Rosalie Poe.

    Read More

  • The Raven Rhetorical Analysis

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, "The Raven" starts off in a dark setting with an apartment on a "bleak December" night. The reader meets an agonized man sifting through his books while mourning over the premature death of a woman named Lenore. When the character is introduced to the raven he asks about Lenore and the chance in afterlife in which the bird replies “nevermore” which confirms his worst fears. This piece by Edgar Allen Poe is unparalleled; his poem’s theme is not predictable, it leads to a bitter negative ending and is surrounded by pain. To set this tone, Poe uses devices such as the repetition of "nevermore" to emphasize the meaning of the word to the overall theme; he also sets a dramatic tone that shows the character going from weary

    Read More

  • Edgar Allan Poe Influence

    1195 Words  | 3 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe was born January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. After his father left and his mother passed away, he lived with John and Frances Allan. He would write poetry on the back of John’s business papers. Poe went to the University of Virginia where he went into debt for gambling to cover the cost of his schooling. When he was kicked out of the university he enrolled at West Point and that’s when he truly committed to writing poetry again. He earned the nickname Father of the Detective Story when he wrote the first detective story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue. In 1845, Poe became a sensation when he published The Raven. He mysteriously died on October 7, 1849 in Baltimore, Maryland (biography.com).

    Read More

  • The Death Of Edgar Allan Poe

    1325 Words  | 3 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 19, 1809. He was born to two poor actors, David Poe and Elizabeth Arnold Poe. David Poe was born to a good Baltimore family. He was known as a heavy drinker, and soon after Edgar was born, left his mother and Edgar’s two other siblings. Elizabeth was thought to be charming and talented, but she died an early death. She died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-four. Edgar was only three years old. The death of his mother ruined Edgar for the rest of his life. Edgar’s brother, WIlliam Henry Leonard Poe, also came to be a poet, but he had a n early demise. His sister, Rosalie Poe, grew up to teach penmanship. Edgar and his siblings were separated from each other after the death of their parents).Shortly after, Edgar was taken in by John and Frances Allan. John was a successful tobacco merchant. Edgar moved to England with the Allans and went to school in England from 1815 to 1820. Edgar and David did not see eye to eye at all. John wanted Edgar to be a businessman and a Virginian gentleman, but Edgar aspired to become a writer. By the time Edgar began college at the University of Virginia in 1826, he barely communicated or received support from the Allans. Edgar was a wonderful student but a terrible gambler. He soon accumulated a considerable amount of debt because John sent him to university with a measly amount of money. He did not have enough for expenses which led him to gambling. He was so poor and desperate that he burned his furniture to keep warm. Humiliated, he returned home to Richmond to discover that his fiancée, Elmira Royster, was engaged to another man. His stay at the Allan mansion was cut very short because of the increasing tension b...

    Read More

  • Edgar Allan Poe's Life and Work

    1406 Words  | 3 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. His parents, who were actors, died when Poe was a small child. Poe was then adopted and raised by John Allan, a tobacco exporter, and Frances Allan in Richmond, Virginia (Magill, 1640). Poe was sent to the best schools because of Allan’s job. When Poe was six years old he was sent to private school. Poe kept studying and went to the University of Virginia for one year. After one year in the University Poe quit school because Allan refused to pay his debts, and he did not have money to pay for Poe’s education. Later, Poe left Boston in 1827 where he enlisted in the army. Poe served two years in the military after he quit school. After two years in the military Poe was dismissed for neglect of duty. His foster father then disowned him permanently. He stayed very little time there because Allan, once again, refused to send Poe any money. (Hoffman, Daniel)

    Read More

  • Essay On Edgar Allan Poe

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe, the man known as the father of horror stories. His short stories and poems are known to be gloomy, dark, and morbid. Most people are not aware that many of his works are reflections of his own life. Throughout his whole life, Poe experienced numerous tragedies. Many of his hard experiences can be seen in his poems Annabel Lee, Alone, and Israfel. His short stories were also affected by his past. The Raven also has small depictions of Poe’s life. A tragic past, consisting of a lack of true parents and the death of his wife, made Edgar Allan Poe the famous writer he is today, but it also led to his demise and unpopularity.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay: The Death Of Edgar Allan Poe

    438 Words  | 1 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe was a son of traveling actors that soon his father left the family behind. Which then his beautiful mother passed away in a theatrical room in Virginia.At the age of three he was a foster child.Which then he was brought into the Allan family which his parents were pleased with him.They really liked how he was athletic and was able to get great scholarships.Poe attended the University of Virginia but, soon he dropped out of huge gambling debts.Edgar Allan Poe’s final days has been a mystery since no one really knows how he died. Lots of people have been writing stories on how he possibly died but, we don’t know if they are true. His death has been a cliffhanger ever since people have been writing stories on how he must have

    Read More

  • Edgar Allan Poe's Impact on American Literature

    1370 Words  | 3 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. Even though Edgar Allan Poe did not grow up around his biological parents, his parents were both actors. “His father left the family early on, and his mother passed away when he was only three.” (“Biography”) Since Poe did not have any parents around, he went to live with John and Frances Allan. Poe attended both the University of Virginia and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In the 1830's Poe moved in with his aunt and cousin, Virginia, whom he would end up marrying. She was thirteen years of age when they married. In 1835 Poe obtained a job at the Southern Literary Messenger. While he was working there he was able to publish a few novels in a hope of his works receiving notice from others. In 1837 Poe left the Southern Literary Messenger due to various issues that were present in his life. After the death of his wife, Virginia, and an alcohol problem which would strain a lot of his relationships with other people, Poe finally died on October 7, 1847.

    Read More

  • Poe's Life Reflected in The Raven

    1427 Words  | 3 Pages

    Edgar Allen Poe was one of the greatest writers of the nineteenth century. Perhaps he is best know for is ominous short stories. One of my personal favorites was called The Raven. Throughout his works Poe used coherent connections between symbols to encourage the reader to dig deep and find the real meaning of his writing. Poe's work is much like a puzzle, when u first see it its intact, but take apart and find there is much more to the story than you thought. The Raven, written in 1845, is a perfect example of Poe at his craziest. Poe's calculated use of symbolism is at his best in this story as each symbol coincides with the others. In The Raven, Poe explains a morbid fear of loneliness and the end of something through symbols. The symbols not only tell the story of the narrator in the poem, they also tell the true story of Poe's own loneliness in life and the hardships he faced. Connected together through imagery they tell a story of a dark world only Poe Knows exists.

    Read More

  • Mental Disorder In Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” follows the story of a young man who is sadden by the death of a woman named Leonore. As the reader advance through the poem, the main character is getting more and more emotionally unstable. He is clearly suffering from some kind of mental illness most likely depression. The narrator is in first person, we are living the poem through the eyes of the main character. (He compulsorily constructs self-destructive meaning around a raven’s repetition of the word 'Nevermore ', until he finally despairs of being reunited with his beloved Lenore in another world. Just because of the nightmarish effect, the poem cannot be called an elegy.) Poe use vivid details to describe how the narrator is gradually losing his mind.

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

    457 Words  | 1 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe?s ?The Raven? is a dark reflection on lost love, death, and loss of hope. The poem examines the emotions of a young man who has lost his lover to death and who tries unsuccessfully to distract himself from his sadness through books. Books, however, prove to be of little help, as his night becomes a nightmare and his solitude is shattered by a single visitor, the raven. Through this poem, Poe uses symbolism, imagery and tone, as well as a variety of poetic elements to enforce his theme of sadness and death of the one he loves.

    Read More

  • Edgar Allan Poe

    4000 Words  | 8 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe is one American author whose name is known to almost everyone. Edgar is known for his elegant poems and for being a tough critic of refined tastes, but also for being the first master of the short story form, especially tales of mystery. He has a talent of having an extraordinary hold upon the readers imagination and not letting lose. Many advents of Edgar’s life has probably led to the strange, but successful and renowned pieces of American literature.

    Read More

More about once upon a midnight dreary

Open Document