Which TWO of the following quotes best embody how the imagery develops the supernatural

Name: Class: The Raven By Edgar Allan Poe 1845 Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American author, poet, and literary critic whose works are still widely read today. The Raven is perhaps his most famous poem, celebrated for its musicality, form, and supernatural atmosphere. As you read, take notes on the symbolic nature of the raven's visit, as well as how the poem's structure and form contribute to its mood. [1] [5] 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. Tis some visitor, I muttered, tapping at my chamber door Only this and nothing more. [10] Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December; And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow; vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease 1 of sorrow sorrow for the lost Lenore For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore Nameless here for evermore. "The Raven" by Kevin Dooley is licensed under CC BY 2.0 [15] And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; This it is and nothing more. [20] Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, Sir, said I, or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, That I scarce was sure I heard you here I opened wide the door; Darkness there and nothing more. 1. the act or process of being brought to an end 1

[25] [30] 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? This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, Lenore! Merely this and nothing more. [35] Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before. Surely, said I, surely that is something at my window lattice; Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; Tis the wind and nothing more! [40] Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter, In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore; Not the least obeisance 2 made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he; But, with mien 3 of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door Perched upon a bust of Pallas 4 just above my chamber door Perched, and sat, and nothing more. [45] Then this ebony bird beguiling 5 my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance 6 it wore, Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou, I said, art sure no craven, 7 Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night s Plutonian shore!" 8 [50] Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly, Though its answer little meaning little relevancy bore; For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door, With such name as Nevermore. [55] [60] But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid 9 bust, spoke only That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. Nothing farther then he uttered not a feather then he fluttered Till I scarcely more than muttered Other friends have flown before On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before. Then the bird said Nevermore. 2. acknowledgement of another's superiority, such as in the form of a bow 3. a demeanor or air 4. Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom 5. Beguile (verb): to charm or enchant, often in a deceptive way 6. Countenance (noun): a person's face or facial expression 7. a coward 8. Pluto is the Roman god of death, also known as Hades in Greek mythology. The Plutonian shore is a reference to the afterlife or underworld. 2

[65] Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, Doubtless, said I, what it utters is its only stock and store Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore Till the dirges 10 of his Hope that melancholy burden bore Of Never nevermore. [70] But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door; Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous 11 bird of yore What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking Nevermore. [75] This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing 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 On the cushion s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o er, But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o er, She shall press, ah, nevermore! [80] Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer 12 Swung by Seraphim 13 whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor. Wretch, I cried, thy God hath lent thee by these angels he hath sent thee Respite respite and nepenthe 14 from thy memories of Lenore; Quaff, 15 oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore! [85] [90] Prophet! said I, thing of evil! prophet still, if bird or devil! Whether Tempter 16 sent, or whether tempest 17 tossed thee here ashore, Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted On this home by Horror haunted tell me truly, I implore Is there is there balm in Gilead? 18 tell me tell me, I implore! 9. Placid (adjective): calm and peaceful, with little movement or activity 10. mournful songs or poems 11. Ominous (adjective): suggesting that something bad is going to happen 12. a vessel for burning incense 13. an order of angels 14. Nepenthe refers to a substance capable of causing forgetfulness of pain and sorrow. 15. to drink deeply 16. also known as "the Devil" 17. Tempest (noun): a violent, windy storm 18. This is a reference to the Biblical quote from Jeremiah 8:22 "Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?" 3

[95] Prophet! said I, thing of evil! prophet still, if bird or devil! By that Heaven that bends above us by that God we both adore Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, 19 It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore. [100] Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend! I shrieked, upstarting Get thee back into the tempest and the Night s Plutonian shore! Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken! quit the bust above my door! Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door! [105] And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid 20 bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon s that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted nevermore! "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe (1845) is in the public domain. 19. Aidenn is a variant spelling of the Biblical Eden. 20. Pallid (adjective): pale or white 4

Text-Dependent Questions Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences. 1. PART A: Which of the following best explains the relationship between the speaker and Lenore? A. Lenore was the speaker s girlfriend who broke up with him. B. Lenore was the speaker s lover but she has recently died. C. Lenore is the speaker s friend whom the speaker is currently in love with. D. Lenore and the speaker are enemies; the speaker believes she has cursed him. 2. PART B: Which phrase from the poem best supports the answer to Part A? A. "vainly I had sought to borrow / From my books surcease of sorrow" (Lines 9-10) B. "the rare and radiant maiden" (Line 11) C. "maiden whom the angels name Lenore / Nameless here for evermore" (Lines 11-12) D. "respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore" (Line 82) 3. PART A: Which of the following best describes a central theme of the text? A. Loss and grief can have powerful effects on the mind. B. The supernatural is proof that death is not the end. C. Fear is only a state of mind, and cannot significantly harm anyone. D. Evil deeds will always come back to haunt us. 4. PART B: Which TWO of the following quotes best support the answer to Part A? A. Tis some visitor, I muttered, tapping at my chamber door / Only this and nothing more. (Lines 5-6) B. Eagerly I wished the morrow; vainly I had sought to borrow / From my books surcease of sorrow sorrow for the lost Lenore (Lines 9-10) C. Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking / 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.' (Lines 69-72) D. Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer / Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor. (Lines 79-80) E. Prophet! said I, thing of evil! prophet still, if bird or devil! / Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore (Lines 85-86) F. And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon s that is dreaming, / And the lamp-light o er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; / And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor / Shall be lifted nevermore! (Lines 105-108) 5

5. Summarize how the speaker views the raven over the course of the poem. Cite evidence in you answer. 6. How do the allusions, or references, made to Pallas (Athena) and Pluto (Hades) inform the character of the raven? A. These allusions make the raven seem otherworldly and informs his symbolic nature as a possible messenger from the afterlife. B. These allusions imply that the raven is far more powerful than it at first seems and it is there to cast judgement on the speaker. C. These allusions contribute to the raven s characterization as the speaker s punishment, as classical gods were often seen as cruel and petty. D. These allusions remind the reader that the speaker is mentally unbalanced and mistaking a raven for a god. 7. Why does the speaker react poorly to the raven's response of Nevermore in stanzas 15-16? A. The speaker is unsettled by the raven s repetition of Nevermore because he believes the raven learned it from a depressed former master and intends to make him his new owner. B. The speaker begs the raven to leave, to which the raven responds Nevermore œ; the speaker becomes frustrated in stanzas 15-16 as he attempts to make it leave. C. In stanzas 15-16, the speaker asks the raven if there is an afterlife and if he will be reunited with Lenore there, to which the raven answers Nevermore œ; the speaker takes these answers seriously and thus becomes upset. D. The speaker is frustrated by the bird s catchphrase and begs it to stop talking. 6

8. Which TWO of the following quotes best embody how the imagery develops the supernatural atmosphere of the poem? A. Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December (Line 7) B. Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, / Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before. (Lines 31-32) C. Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he; / But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door (Lines 39-40) D. Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door; / Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking / Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore (Lines 68-70) E. Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer / Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor. (Lines 79-80) F. And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting / On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; / And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon s that is dreaming, / And the lamp-light o er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor (Lines 103-106). 9. How does the overall use of repetition in the poem contribute to its mood? A. The poem s repetitive and rigid structure contrasts the speaker s declining mental state, thus contributing to the crazed mood of the poem. B. The poem s repetition of the negative response Nevermore contributes to the lethargic and dispassionate mood of the poem. C. The poem s use of repetition and alliteration creates a dreamy mood, as the author thinks of his love, Lenore. D. The poem s use of repetition namely the tapping, the narrator s calls for Lenore, and the raven s catchphrase of Nevermore contributes to the overall suspenseful, eerie mood. 10. How does the poem s use of internal rhyme contribute to the tone of the piece? Cite at least one example in your answer. 7

Discussion Questions Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion. 1. How do we deal with grief? Find evidence from "The Raven," from your experience, and from other works of literature or art. 2. In the context of this poem, how are we changed by love? Cite evidence from The Raven, from your experience, and from other works of literature or art. 8