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1-Page Summary of The Raven

The American Romantic movement focused on the emotional life of the individual, as well as curiosity about the self. It complemented a larger geopolitical and ideological shift in America. As a young nation forged a path into the West, so its writers explored unknown territory: the human mind.

Some Romantic poets, like the transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson, believed in the inherent goodness of people. His poetry is light and positive. Poe, on the other hand, was interested in plumbing the darker depths of human nature. He uses Gothic set pieces and nightmarish sequences to suggest that self-reliance results not in enlightenment but terror and anxiety. In “The Raven,” he makes this point by having a character who turns inward for answers experience only horror instead of enlightenment or relief from his suffering

Poe’s works are difficult to classify. They contain elements of mystery, horror and love poetry. He is sometimes credited as the creator of the modern short story and his tales remain popular today. His critical opinions were also influential, especially the idea that poetry should be musical, focus on beauty over truth and elevate the soul.

Poe was a poet who wrote only about fifty poems. His most famous poem is “The Raven”, but other poems such as “Annabel Lee” and “Ulalume” are also widely read. Poe’s poetry has rigid rhyme schemes and stanza patterns, and his speaker is an unnamed male—although it can be tempting to view these poems as autobiographical, they’re more likely the subjective exploration of emotion common in Romantic poets of his time. Poe’s speakers often embark on literal journeys or journeys of the mind from a rational place; they become unreliable due to their emotions. This describes how “The Raven” fits this mold: It came to be associated with Poe so strongly that he became known as “the Raven” himself.

Poet Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. He grew up mostly in the South and his father abandoned him when he was young. His mother died shortly after they moved to Richmond, Virginia where he took the name “Allan” from his foster father John Allan.

Poe was a successful writer who wrote about many different topics. He started his education at private schools, but he went to college for two years before dropping out due to gambling debts and financial issues. Poe then worked as an editor and critic for various publications in the east coast.

Poe married his cousin, Virginia Clemm in 1836. They lived an itinerant lifestyle for nearly a decade before they settled down in Fordham, New York in 1844. Three years later Virginia died of tuberculosis and Poe’s career saw an upswing after the success of “The Raven”, which was published in 1845. Various scandals, however, coupled with the death of his wife contributed to Poe’s drinking problem. He collapsed on October 7th and may have been related to his abuse of alcohol.

A Poem

Once upon a time, I was sitting in my room thinking about many things when I started to doze off. Suddenly, there was a tapping sound coming from the door. There was someone at the door! “It’s probably just some visitor who wants something,” I thought. “There is nothing more than that.” It happened on December and it was very cold outside;

And each dying ember on the floor created a ghost. I wished for the next day because I was so sad about Lenore, who had died before me and whom no one will ever know by that name. The silken, purple curtains were like angels to me; they made me feel afraid of what lay beyond them. So to calm myself down, I repeated