"The Raven" depicts a mysterious raven's midnight visit to a mourning narrator, as illustrated by John Tenniel (1858). Sir John Tenniel (28 February 1820 &ndash 25 February 1914 was an English Illustrator.

"The Raven" is a narrative poem by the American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. Narrative poetry is Poetry that tells a story The poems may be short or long and the story it relates to may be simple or complex The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Edgar Allan Poe (January 19 1809 – October 7 1849 was an American poet, short-story Writer, editor and Literary critic, It is noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. The term supernatural or supranatural ( Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature" pertains to entities events It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the latter's slow descent into madness. The talking animal or speaking animal term in general refers to any form of animal which can speak human languages Raven is the common name given to the largest species of Passerine Birds in the Genus Corvus. The lover, often identified as being a student,^[1][2] is lamenting the loss of his love, Lenore. The raven, sitting on a bust of Pallas, seems to further instigate his distress with its constant repetition of the word, "Nevermore. ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN. " Throughout the poem, Poe makes allusions to folklore and various classical works. History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological

Poe claimed to have written the poem very logically and methodically. His intention was to create a poem that would appeal to both critical and popular tastes, as he explains in the follow-up essay: "The Philosophy of Composition". " The Philosophy of Composition " is an Essay written by Edgar Allan Poe that elucidates a theory about how good writers write when they write well The poem was inspired in part by a talking raven in the novel Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty by Charles Dickens. Barnaby Rudge A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty is an Historical novel by the author Charles Dickens. ^[3] Poe borrows the complex rhythm and meter of Elizabeth Barrett's poem "Lady Geraldine's Courtship". Elizabeth Barrett Browning ( March 6, 1806 &ndash June 29, 1861) was one of the most respected Poets of the Victorian era

The first publication of "The Raven" on January 29, 1845, in the New York Evening Mirror made Poe widely popular in his lifetime. Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The New-York Mirror was a Newspaper published in New York City under many variant titles including The Evening Mirror from 1844 to 1898 The poem was soon reprinted, parodied, and illustrated. Though some critics disagree about the value of the poem, it remains one of the most famous poems ever written. ^[4]

Synopsis

"Not the least obeisance made he", as illustrated by Gustave Doré (1884).

"The Raven" follows an unnamed narrator who sits reading "forgotten lore"^[5] as a method to forget the loss of his love, Lenore. A narrator (or the extremely rarely used female equivalent narratress) is within any story (literary work movie play verbal account etc A "rapping at [his] chamber door"^[5] reveals nothing, but excites his soul to "burning". ^[6] A similar rapping, slightly louder, is heard at his window. When he goes to investigate, a raven steps into his chamber. Paying no attention to the man, the raven perches on a bust of Pallas. A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure depicting a person's head and Neck, as well as a variable portion of ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN.

Amused by the raven's comically serious disposition, the man demands that the bird tell him its name. The raven's only answer is "Nevermore. "^[6] The narrator is surprised that the raven can talk, though it will not say anything further. He reasons that the bird learned the word "Nevermore" from some "unhappy master" and that it is the only word it knows. ^[6] The narrator remarks that his "friend" the raven will soon fly out of his life, just as "other friends have flown before"^[6] along with his previous hopes. As if answering, the raven responds again with "Nevermore". ^[6] The narrator is convinced that this single word, possibly learned from a previous owner with bad luck, is all that the bird can say. ^[6]

Even so, the narrator pulls his chair directly in front of the raven, determined to learn more about it. He thinks for a moment, not saying anything, but his mind wanders back to his lost Lenore. He thinks the air grows denser and feels the presence of angels. Confused by the association of the angels with the bird, the narrator becomes angry, calling the raven a "thing of evil" and a "prophet". As he yells at the raven it only responds, "Nevermore. "^[7] Finally, he asks the raven if he will be reunited with Lenore in heaven. When the raven responds with its typical "Nevermore", he shrieks and commands the raven to return to the "Plutonian shore",^[7] though it never moves. Presumably at the time of the poem's recitation by the narrator, the raven "still is sitting"^[7] on the bust of Pallas. The narrator's final admission is that his soul is trapped beneath the raven's shadow and shall be lifted "Nevermore". ^[7]

Analysis

Poe wrote the poem as a narrative, without intentionally creating an allegory or falling into didacticism. An allegory (from αλλος allos "other" and el αγορευειν agoreuein "to speak in public" is a figurative mode of representation Didacticism is an artistic philosophy that emphasizes instructional and informative qualities in Literature and other types of Art. ^[2] The main theme of the poem is one of undying devotion. ^[8] The narrator experiences a perverse conflict between desire to forget and desire to remember. The Imp of the Perverse is a Metaphor for the common tendency particularly among children and Miscreants to do exactly the wrong thing in a given situation He seems to get some pleasure from focusing on loss. ^[9] The narrator assumes that the word "Nevermore" is the raven's "only stock and store", and yet he continues to ask it questions, knowing what the answer will be. His questions, then, are purposely self-deprecating and further incite his feelings of loss. ^[10] Poe leaves it unclear if the raven actually knows what it is saying or if it really intends to cause a reaction in the poem's narrator. ^[11] The narrator begins as weak and weary, becomes regretful and grief-stricken, before passing into a frenzy and, finally, madness. ^[12]

The raven perches on a bust of Pallas, a symbol of wisdom meant to imply the narrator is a scholar. ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN.

Allusions

Poe says that the narrator is a young scholar. The word student is etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation Verb "studēre" ^[13] Though this is not explicitly stated in the poem, it is mentioned in "The Philosophy of Composition". It is also suggested by the narrator reading books of "lore" as well as by the bust of Pallas Athena, goddess of wisdom. ^[1]

He is reading "many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore". ^[5] Similar to the studies suggested in Poe's short story "Ligeia", this lore may be about the occult or black magic. " Ligeia " is an early Short story written by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1838. The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden" Black magic or dark magic is a form of sorcery that draws on malevolent powers This is also emphasized in the author's choice to set the poem in December, a month when the forces of darkness are believed to be especially active. The use of the raven — the "devil bird" — also suggests this. ^[14] This devil image is emphasized by the narrator's belief that the raven is "from the Night's Plutonian shore", or a messenger from the afterlife, referring to Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld^[9] (also known as Hades in Greek mythology). Pluto was the Roman god of the underworld known in Latin as Tertius the counterpart of the Greek Hades. Roman mythology, or more appropriately Latin mythology, refers to the mythological beliefs of the Italic people inhabiting the region of Latium and its In the study of Mythology and Religion, the underworld (gr κάτω κόσμος) is a generic term approximately equivalent to the lay term Afterlife Hades (from Greek, Hadēs, originally, Haidēs or, Aidēs, probably from Indo-European *n̥-wid- 'unseen' refers both to the ancient Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance

Poe chose a raven as the central symbol in the story because he wanted a "non-reasoning" creature capable of speech. He decided on a raven, which he considered "equally capable of speech" as a parrot, because it matched the intended tone of the poem. ^[15] Poe said the raven is meant to symbolize mournful and never-ending remembrance. ^[16] He was also inspired by Grip, the raven in Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty by Charles Dickens. Barnaby Rudge A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty is an Historical novel by the author Charles Dickens. ^[17] One scene in particular bears a resemblance to "The Raven": at the end of the fifth chapter of Dickens's novel, Grip makes a noise and someone says, "What was that – him tapping at the door?" The response is, "'Tis someone knocking softly at the shutter. "^[18] Dickens's raven could speak many words and had many comic turns, including the popping of a champagne cork, but Poe emphasized the bird's more dramatic qualities. Poe had written a review of Barnaby Rudge for Graham's Magazine saying, among other things, that the raven should have served a more symbolic, prophetic purpose. ^[18] The similarity did not go unnoticed: James Russel Lowell in his "A Fable for Critics" wrote the verse, "Here comes Poe with his raven, like Barnaby Rudge / Three-fifths of him genius and two-fifths sheer fudge. James Russell Lowell (February 22 1819 – August 12 1891 was an American Romantic poet critic editor and Diplomat. "^[19]

Poe may also have been drawing upon various references to ravens in mythology and folklore. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological In Norse mythology, Odin possessed two ravens named Hugin and Munin, representing thought and memory. Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. Huginn and Muninn, sometimes anglicised Hugin and Munin, are a pair of Ravens associated with the Norse god Odin. ^[20] The raven also gets a reputation as a bird of ill omen in the book of Genesis. ^[21] According to Hebrew folklore, Noah sends a white raven to check conditions while on the ark. Noah (or Noe, Noach;; Nūḥ; Arabic: نوح; "Rest") was according to the Bible, the tenth and last of Noah's Ark, according to the Book of Genesis (chapters 6-9 is the story of a large vessel built at God 's command to save Noah, his family It learns that the floodwaters are beginning to dissipate, but it does not immediately return with the news. It is punished by being turned black and being forced to feed on carrion forever. Carrion (from the Latin caro, meaning meat refers to the carcass of a dead animal In Ovid's Metamorphoses, a raven also begins as white before Apollo punishes it by turning it black for delivering a message of a lover's unfaithfulness. Publius Ovidius Naso ( March 20, 43 BC – 17 AD was a Roman poet known to the English -speaking world as Ovid who wrote on many topics including The Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid is a narrative poem The raven's role as a messenger in Poe's poem may draw from those stories. ^[22]

Poe also mentions the Balm of Gilead, a reference to the Book of Jeremiah in the Bible: "Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?"^[23] In that context, the Balm of Gilead is a resin used for medicinal purposes (suggesting, perhaps, that the narrator needs to be healed after the loss of Lenore). Balsam of Mecca (or balsam of Gilead or balm of Gilead) is a Resinous gum of the tree Commiphora gileadensis (syn The Book of Jeremiah, or Jeremiah ( יִרְמְיָהוּ Yirməyāhū in Hebrew) is part of the Hebrew Bible, Judaism Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Resin, not to be confused with Rosin, is a Hydrocarbon Secretion of many Plants particularly coniferous trees. He also refers to "Aidenn", another word for the Garden of Eden, though Poe uses it to ask if Lenore has been accepted into Heaven. Not to be confused with Eden Gardens.The Garden of Eden ( Hebrew "pleasure" גַּן עֵדֶן Arabic: جنات عدن, Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond At another point, the narrator imagines that seraphim (a type of angel) have entered the room. A seraph ( Heb. שׂרף, pl שׂרפים Seraphim, lat. seraph'' pl An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition The narrator thinks they are trying to take his memories of Lenore away from him using nepenthe, a drug mentioned in Homer's Odyssey to induce forgetfulness. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer.

Poetic structure

The poem is made up of 18 stanzas of six lines each. Generally, the meter is trochaic octameter — eight trochaic feet per line, each foot having one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable. Trochaic octameter is a poetic meter that has eight trochaic metrical feet per line ^[3] The first line, for example (with / representing stressed syllables and x representing unstressed):

Edgar Allan Poe, however, claimed the poem was a combination of octameter acatalectic, heptameter catalectic, and tetrameter catalectic. Octameter in Poetry is a line of eight metrical feet. It is not very common in English verse An acatalectic line of verse is one having the metrically complete number of syllables in the final foot. Heptameter is one or more lines of verse containing seven Metrical feet (usually fourteen or twenty-one Syllables. A catalectic line is a metrically incomplete line of verse lacking a syllable at the end or ending with an incomplete foot. In Poetry, a tetrameter is a line of four metrical feet. The particular foot of course can vary as follows Anapestic tetrameter: ^[13] The rhyme scheme is ABCBBB and makes heavy use of internal rhyme ("dreary" and "weary"; "Once upon" and "while I pon-") and alliteration ("Doubting, dreaming dreams. A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhyming Lines in a Poem or Song. In Poetry, internal rhyme or middle rhyme is Rhyme which occurs in a single line of verse. Alliteration is the repetition of the first Consonant sound in a phrase . . "). ^[25] 20th century American poet Daniel Hoffman suggested that the poem's structure and meter is so formulaic that it is artificial, though its mesmeric quality overrides that. Daniel Gerard Hoffman (born April 3 1923) is an American Poet, essayist and academic ^[26]

Poe based the structure of "The Raven" on the complicated rhyme and rhythm of Elizabeth Barrett's poem "Lady Geraldine's Courtship". Elizabeth Barrett Browning ( March 6, 1806 &ndash June 29, 1861) was one of the most respected Poets of the Victorian era Poe had reviewed Barrett's work in the January 1845 issue of the Broadway Journal and said that "her poetic inspiration is the highest - we can conceive of nothing more august. The Broadway Journal was a short-lived New York City -based Periodical founded by Charles Frederick Briggs and John Bisco in 1844 Her sense of Art is pure in itself. " About "Lady Geraldine's Courtship", he said, "I have never read a poem combining so much of the fiercest passion with so much of the most delicate imagination. "^[27]

Publication history

Édouard Manet's illustration of the poem was one of many made after initial publication.

Poe first brought "The Raven" to his friend and former employer George Rex Graham of Graham's Magazine in Philadelphia. Life and work Graham was born on January 18 1813 his father was a shipping Merchant who had lost much of his money in early in the 19th century Graham's Magazine was a nineteenth century Periodical based in Philadelphia established by George Rex Graham. Graham declined the poem, which may not have been in its final version, though he gave Poe $15 as charity. ^[28] Poe then attempted to place the poem with The American Review, which paid him $9 for it. The American Review, alternatively known as American Review A Whig Journal and American Whig Review, was a New York City -based monthly ^[29] Though it was first sold to The American Review, which printed it in February 1845, "The Raven" was first published in the Evening Mirror on January 29, 1845, as an "advance copy". Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[13] Nathaniel Parker Willis, editor of the Mirror, introduced it as "unsurpassed in English poetry for subtle conception, masterly ingenuity of versification, and consistent, sustaining of imaginative lift. Nathaniel Parker Willis, also known as N P Willis, (January 20 1806 – January 20 1867 was an American Author, Poet and editor . . It will stick to the memory of everybody who reads it. "^[4] Following this publication the poem appeared in periodicals across the United States, including the New York Tribune (February 4, 1845), Broadway Journal (vol. The New York Tribune was an American newspaper first established by Horace Greeley in 1841 which was long considered one of the leading Newspapers in the Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Broadway Journal was a short-lived New York City -based Periodical founded by Charles Frederick Briggs and John Bisco in 1844 1, February 8, 1845), Southern Literary Messenger (vol. Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Southern Literary Messenger was a Periodical published in Richmond, Virginia, from 1834 until June 1864. 11, March 1845), Literary Emporium (vol. 2, December 1845), Saturday Courier, 16 (July 25, 1846), and the Richmond Examiner (September 25, 1849). Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 1849 ( MDCCCXLIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[30] It has also appeared in numerous anthologies, starting with Poets and Poetry of America edited by Rufus Wilmot Griswold in 1847. Rufus Wilmot Griswold (February 13 1812 – August 27 1857 was an American anthologist, editor, Poet, and Critic.

Illustrators

Later publications of "The Raven" included artwork by well-known illustrators. Notably, in 1858 "The Raven" appeared in a British Poe anthology with illustrations by John Tenniel, the Alice in Wonderland illustrator (The Poetical Works of Edgar Allan Poe: With Original Memoir, London: Sampson Low). Sir John Tenniel (28 February 1820 &ndash 25 February 1914 was an English Illustrator. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865 is a novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson better known under the Pseudonym Lewis "The Raven" was published independently with lavish woodcuts by Gustave Doré in 1884 (New York: Harper & Brothers). For the origins of the technique and non-artistic use see Woodblock printing; for the related technique invented in the 18th century see Wood engraving Doré died before its publication. ^[31] In 1875 a French edition with English and French text was published with lithographs by the famed Impressionist Édouard Manet and translation by the Symbolist Stephane Mallarmé. Lithography is a method for Printing using a plate or stone with a completely smooth surface Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century Art movement of French and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts Stéphane Mallarmé (malaʁ'me ( March 18, 1842 – September 9, 1898) whose real name was Étienne Mallarmé, was a French ^[32] Many 20th century artists and contemporary illustrators created artworks and illustrations based on "The Raven", including Edmund Dulac, István Orosz,^[33][34] Ryan Price,^[35] Odilon Redon and Gahan Wilson. Edmund Dulac (born Edmond Dulac, October 22, 1882 &ndash May 25, 1953) was a French book illustrator prominent István Orosz (b October 24 1951 Kecskemét) Hungarian painter, printmaker Graphic designer and animated film director is known for Bertrand-Jean Redon, better known as Odilon Redon ( April 20, 1840 &ndash July 6, 1916) was a Symbolist painter and Gahan Wilson (born February 18 1930 in Evanston Illinois) is an author Cartoonist, and illustrator in the United States.

Composition

Main article: The Philosophy of Composition

Poe capitalized on the success of "The Raven" by following it up with his essay "The Philosophy of Composition" (1846), in which he detailed the poem's creation. " The Philosophy of Composition " is an Essay written by Edgar Allan Poe that elucidates a theory about how good writers write when they write well " The Philosophy of Composition " is an Essay written by Edgar Allan Poe that elucidates a theory about how good writers write when they write well His description of its writing is probably exaggerated, though the essay serves as an important overview of Poe's literary theory. Literary theory in a strict sense is the systematic study of the nature of Literature and of the methods for analyzing literature ^[36] He explains that every component of the poem is based on logic: the raven enters the chamber to avoid a storm (the "midnight dreary" in the "bleak December"), and its perch on a pallid white bust was to create visual contrast against the dark black bird. No aspect of the poem was an accident, he claims, but is based on total control by the author. ^[37] Even the term "Nevermore", he says, is used because of the effect created by the long vowel sounds (though Poe may have been inspired to use the word by the works of Lord Byron or Henry Wadsworth Longfellow^[38]). Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27 1807 &ndash March 24 1882 was an American educator and Poet whose works include " Paul Revere's Ride " Poe had experimented with the long o sound throughout many other poems: "no more" in "Silence", "evermore" in "The Conqueror Worm". This article lists all known poems by American author and critic Edgar Allan Poe ( January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) " The Conqueror Worm " is a poem by Edgar Allan Poe about human mortality and the inevitability of death ^[1] The topic itself, Poe says, was chosen because "the death. . . of a beautiful woman is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world". Told from "the lips. . . of a bereaved lover" is best suited to achieve the desired effect. ^[2] Beyond the poetics of it, the lost Lenore may have been inspired by events in Poe's own life as well, either to the early loss of his mother, Eliza Poe, or the long-illness endured by his wife, Virginia. Elizabeth Arnold Poe (1787–1811 was a English -born American actress and the mother of the American author Edgar Allan Poe. Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe (born Virginia Eliza Clemm) (August 22 1822 &ndash January 30 1847 was the wife of Edgar Allan Poe. ^[9] Ultimately, Poe considered "The Raven" an experiment to "suit at once the popular and critical taste", accessible to both the mainstream and high literary worlds. ^[2] It is unknown how long Poe worked on "The Raven"; speculation ranges from a single day to ten years. Poe recited a poem believed to be an early version with an alternate ending of "The Raven" in 1843 in Saratoga, New York. Saratoga is a Town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous ^[3] An early draft may have featured an owl. ^[39]

Critical reception and impact

In part due to its dual printing, "The Raven" made Edgar Allan Poe a household name almost immediately;^[40] people began to identify poem with poet, earning Poe the nickname "The Raven". ^[41] The poem was soon widely reprinted, imitated, and parodied. A parody (ˈpɛɹədiː US, [ˈpaɹədiː] UK) in contemporary usage is a work created to mock comment on or poke fun at an original work its subject ^[40] Though it made Poe popular in his day, it did not bring him significant financial success. ^[42]

The New World said, "Everyone reads the Poem and praises it. . . justly, we think, for it seems to us full of originality and power. "^[4] The Pennsylvania Inquirer reprinted it with the heading "A Beautiful Poem". The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily Newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United ^[4] Elizabeth Barrett wrote to Poe, "Your 'Raven' has produced a sensation, a fit o' horror, here in England. Some of my friends are taken by the fear of it and some by the music. I hear of persons haunted by 'Nevermore'. "^[43] Poe's popularity resulted in invitations to recite "The Raven" and to lecture – in public and at private social gatherings. At one literary salon, a guest noted, "to hear [Poe] repeat the Raven. A salon is a gathering of stimulating people of quality under the roof of an inspiring hostess or host partly to amuse one another and partly to refine their taste and increase their knowledge through . . is an event in one's life. "^[44] It was recalled, "He would turn down the lamps till the room was almost dark, then standing in the center of the apartment he would recite. . . in the most melodious of voices. . . So marvelous was his power as a reader that the auditors would be afraid to draw breath lest the enchanted spell be broken. "^[45] Parodies sprung up especially in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia and included "The Craven" by "Poh!", "The Gazelle", "The Whippoorwill", and "The Turkey". The Whip-poor-will or whippoorwill, Caprimulgus vociferus, is a medium-sized (22-27 cm Nightjar from North and Central ^[41] One parody, "The Pole-Cat", caught the attention of Andrew Johnston, a lawyer who sent it on to Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal Though Lincoln admitted he had "several hearty laughs", he had never read "The Raven". ^[46]

"The Raven" was praised by fellow writers William Gilmore Simms and Margaret Fuller,^[47] though it was denounced by William Butler Yeats, who called it "insincere and vulgar. William Gilmore Simms (April 17 1806 &ndash June 11 1870 was a poet novelist and historian from the American South whose Novels achieved great prominence during Sarah Margaret Fuller Ossoli (May 23 1810 – July 19 1850 was a Journalist, Critic and Women's rights activist associated with the American . . its execution a rhythmical trick". ^[2] Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I see nothing in it. Transcendentalism was a group of new ideas in Literature, Religion, Culture, and Philosophy that emerged in New England in the Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25 1803 &ndash April 27 1882 was an American essayist philosopher poet and leader of the Transcendentalist movement in the early 19th century "^[48] A critic for the Southern Quarterly Review wrote in July 1848 that the poem was ruined by "a wild and unbridled extravagance" and that minor things like a rapping at the door and a fluttering curtain would only affect "a child who had been frightened to the verge of idiocy by terrible ghost stories". ^[49]An anonymous writer going by "Outis" suggested in the Evening Mirror that "The Raven" was plagiarized from a poem called "The Bird of the Dream" by an unnamed author. Plagiarism is the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work The writer showed 18 similarities between the poems and was made as a response to Poe's accusations of plagiarism against Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27 1807 &ndash March 24 1882 was an American educator and Poet whose works include " Paul Revere's Ride " It has been suggested Outis was really Cornelius Conway Felton, if not Poe himself. Cornelius Conway Felton (November 6 1807 - February 26 1862 was an American educator ^[50] After Poe's death, his friend Thomas Holley Chivers said "The Raven" was plagiarized from one of his poems. Thomas Holley Chivers (October 18 1807 – December 18 1858 was an American doctor-turned- poet from the state of Georgia. ^[51] In particular, he claimed to have been the inspiration for the meter of the poem as well as the refrain "nevermore". ^[52]

"The Raven" has influenced many modern works, including Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita in 1955, Bernard Malamud's "The Jewbird" in 1963 and Ray Bradbury's "The Parrot Who Knew Papa" in 1976. This page is about the novelist For his father the politician see Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov. Lolita (1955 is a Novel by Vladimir Nabokov, first written in English and published in 1955 in Paris, later translated by the author Bernard Malamud ( April 26 1914, Brooklyn New York &ndash March 18 1986) was an author of novels and short stories Ray Douglas Bradbury (born August 22 1920 is an American mainstream, Fantasy, horror, Science fiction and mystery ^[53] The poem is additionally referenced throughout popular culture in films, television, music and more. This article discusses the use of Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem in popular culture

See also

• The Raven in popular culture
• Cultural depictions of ravens
• "Lenore" - an earlier poem by Poe

Notes

References

External links

Text

• "The Raven" - Full text of the first printing, from the American Review, 1845
• "The Raven" - Full text of the final authorized printing, from the Richmond Semi-Weekly Examiner, 1849

Commentary

• The Poe Decoder - Essay on the symbols, words and composition of "The Raven"
• The Raven. With Literary and Historical Commentary by John H. Ingram. London G. Redway. 1885.
• "The Raven" Study Guide

Illustrated

• The Raven illustrated by Édouard Manet, available at Project Gutenberg. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works
• The Raven illustrated by Gustave Doré, available at Project Gutenberg. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works

Audio

• "The Raven", complete text and audio
• Garrison Keillor's rendition of "The Raven" (RealAudio)
• Reading of "The Raven" by LibriVox
• Audiobook recording with accompanying text of "The Raven". Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (born August 7, 1942) is an American Author, Storyteller, Humorist, LibriVox is a Digital library of free Public domain Audiobooks read by Volunteers The project started in August 2005 and as of 2008-09-14

Video

• Video of Vincent Price giving a dramatic, however not always literal, reading of "The Raven"
• Official site of the 2003 short film version by Trilobite Pictures