1Kwashee Totimeh

ESSAY RESPONSE

When analyzing the poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe, in the structure and
content there are literary terms he uses to enhance the poem. Literary terms are good to
use because they help give the reader a better perspective of what is going on in the
poem. There are three literary terms that uses to enhance the poem. The First literary term
that Poe uses to enhance “The Raven” is symbols. Another term that helps understand
“The Raven” is the tone. The last literary term is imagery which helps give a better
visual. These are just three literary terms that Poe apply’s to his poem that will give a
better view of “The Raven”.
The first and most obvious symbol of this poem is the raven that flies into his
house. Poe stated “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."”(Poe 300). This is when the speaker realizes that the raven is the image of
death and is causing internal torture to him, the raven is also a bird of ill-omen. Another
symbol that Poe used is the bust of Pallas that the raven perched on. In “The Raven,” Poe
states “Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door/Perched, and sat, and
nothing more”(Poe 300). The bust of Pallas is the Greek Goddess of wisdom, Poe wanted
to show that the raven was also bring wisdom to the speaker. Another way that symbol is
used is in the following quote. Poe says “And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still
is sitting/On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;....And my soul from
out that shadow that lies floating on the floor/ Shall be lifted—nevermore”(Poe 301) This
quotes shows that the raven not only symbolizes death but also truth, the raven is there to
show that the character and Lenore will never be together again and that he has to move
on. Basically the raven and the bust are the most obvious symbols that Poe uses.
Another literary term that Poe uses in “The Raven” is tone, which is shown in the
following quote. “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,/while
I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,”stated Poe(Poe 298). Poe is
showing that the speaker is very restless and thinking about something in the middle of
the night. Poe stated “Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow/from
my books surcease° of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—“(Poe 298). The tone comes
through this quote because Poe wanted the character to show why he was upset. The last
way that Poe uses tone in “The Raven”is in the text. Poe stated “Take thy beak from out
my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"/quoth the Raven "Nevermore”(Poe 301).
Poe wanted to show that the character does not want to hear about how his dear Lenore is
not coming back and how each time the raven says “nevermore” it gives him less hope.
These are just some tones that Poe tries to express in his poem “The Raven.”
Finally to enhance his poem “The Raven” Poe uses imagery to evoke one or all of
the five senses. For example, Poe stated “To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into
my bosom’s core;/This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining”(Poe 301).
Poe wanted to give a visual of how the bird was torturing the speaker and how the
speaker is losing his mind. Another imagery that Poe uses to enhance the poem is in the
following quote. “Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;/And each
separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor” says Poe (Poe 298). Poe wanted
to give a better of the setting and surrounding of the character in the poem, just so you
can have a better understanding. The last imagery that Poe uses to enhance his poem is in
the text. Poe stated “As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door/tis some
visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door/Only this and nothing more.”(Poe 298).
This helps to give a better picture of what is going on. Imagery makes it feel like the
poem is being played out right there, which is always nice to have when reading any
literature.
As stated earlier literary terms are good to use because they help give the reader a
better perspective of what is going on in the poem. One literary term that Poe applies to
his poem are symbols. Another terms is tone, which helps the to show what the writer is
trying to make the character feel. The last term Poe uses is imagery, which gives a good
visual. In conclusion, Literary terms are always good to use in any type of literacy, just to
give a better understanding of the poem to the readers.