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Edgar Allan Poe, "The Raven"
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"The Raven" and "The Philosophy of Composition"
Few poets have written about the genesis of a poem, yet Poe does seem to have done that in "The Philosophy of Composition." Although the essay does tell the reader much about the structure, theme, and poetic devices of "The Raven," many readers question whether Poe is being altogether truthful, especially since he worked on the poem for years before publishing it. What is he saying about the popular concept of the "romantic poet"? Why would he want to put that concept in question? Why would he want to give the poem such a rationalistic origination? What do you find of value in the essay and what seems to be missing in Poe's description? What might he gain by being less than truthful?
Comparison and Symbolism
Poets frequently turn to birds as poetic voices of nature and symbols in their poems. Poe was familiar with several birds from Romantic poetry: Samuel Taylor Coleridge's albatross in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," Percy Bysshe Shelley's skylark in "To a Skylark," and John Keats's nightingale in "Ode to a Nightingale." The tradition is continued by a poet enamoured of "The Raven": Walt Whitman, who focused on a mockingbird in "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking." Compare Poe's symbolic use of the raven with that in one of these poems, and think about why Romantic poets in particular are attracted to birds as symbols. You might also look at other symbolism associated with ravens: facts and mythology, the Druid connection, and the Phoenix legend, and consider how these associations might illuminate the poem (or not).
Media Presentations
Poe frequently gave dramatic presentations of "The Raven," starting a tradition which continues today, even on the Internet:
There are multiple film adaptations of Poe's work, especially his stories, generally melodramatic and "extra-textual." Poe always wanted audiences who were thrilled and chilled by his words; perhaps he would have appreciated these flights of imagination. Most recently, these adaptations include a film on Poe's life featuring John Astin, Edgar Allan Poe—Once Upon a Midnight . . . There is even a musical on Poe with CD by Jack Aaronson, "Poe: A Musical Based on the Life of E. A. Poe." Listen to the recordings and consider what each reader adds to his reading and how those intonations and emphases add to the meaning of the poem. You might also locate one of the other visual adaptations and consider how the director, writer, or adapter is interpreting Poe. Then determine how that vision might affect the interpretation of this poem.
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