Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December; And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. 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 stillness gave no token, And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore? Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
Movies / TV
BIOGRAPHIES
Forgot your password? Don't have an account? Sign up here. Already have an account? Log in here.
More by Edgar Allan Poe
First published in January , the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. Sitting on a bust of Pallas , the raven seems to further distress the protagonist with its constant repetition of the word "Nevermore". The poem makes use of folk , mythological, religious, and classical references. Poe claimed to have written the poem logically and methodically, with the intention to create a poem that would appeal to both critical and popular tastes, as he explained in his follow-up essay, " The Philosophy of Composition ". Its publication made Poe popular in his lifetime, although it did not bring him much financial success. The poem was soon reprinted, parodied , and illustrated. Critical opinion is divided as to the poem's literary status, but it nevertheless remains one of the most famous poems ever written. 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.
When Poe was writing " The Raven ," his wife, Virginia, was suffering from tuberculosis. Having lost his mother, brother, and foster mother to tuberculosis, he knew the toll the disease would take. When Poe was writing the poem, he said he first considered another talking bird, the parrot. Some sources say he also tried out an owl before settling on the raven. There are also similarities between the poem and the novel. Him tapping at the door? Who can it be! Around the country, it was reprinted, reviewed, and otherwise immortalized. It soon became so ubiquitous, it was used in advertising.
