1. How To Read a Poem: Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”

2. Your Process: 1. Check for Understanding 2. Identify Tone and Mood 3. Consider Possible Meanings 4. Find Textual Support 5. Identify and Analyze Literary Devices 6. Tie It All Together

3. 1. Check for Understanding Summarize the poem, annotate, and check for unfamiliar vocabulary. Write all over it! Ensure that you feel comfortable with what you have read. This doesn’t mean that you understand every word, or feel convinced that you know what it means on every level. It just means that you have a general feel for the ideas and themes. http://img14.deviantart.net/b07d/i/2011/034/d/e/the_raven__poe_by_lladro-d38ptw0.jpg

4. 2. Identify Tone and Mood Refer to your list of tone and mood words. Choose the words which best fit your response to the poem. Remember: The tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject. The mood is how the reader feels when they are reading the text. Identify diction which creates mood. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia /commons/6/62/Paul_Gustave_Dore_ Raven14.jpg

5. 3. Consider Possible Meanings Write down any possible interpretations. What do you think the poem might mean? Consider both literal meanings (what you see on the page) and metaphorical meanings (possible symbolic or less obvious meanings. Talk over your ideas with your peers. Ensure they are founded in reality and realistic, but also don’t be afraid to take risks.

6. 4. Find Textual Support Once you have determined what you believe the poem means, find as many pieces of evidence as possible to support your reading. This might be a single word, a phrase, or a whole sentence. Ensure that you can justify why the evidence supports your idea. http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sXU3RfB7308/0.jpg

7. 5. Identify and Analyze Literary Devices Note any literary devices that you think have been used by the author, and find examples of those devices in the text. Consider why the author used those literary devices. What did they hope to make the reader feel, or what idea did they hope to demonstrate, by using these devices?

8. 6. Tie It All Together In your journals, write a response where you explain What the poem means How you know what it means How the author creates this meaning. http://www.dreamse quence.org/wp- content/uploads/20 11/07/gc09- poe_raven.jpg

9. Your Task – Understanding “The Raven” 1. Read Poe’s “The Raven.” 2. Follow Steps 1-5 by annotating your copies of the poem. 3. Write a journal in which you ATTEMPT to explain: What the poem means How you know what it means How the author creates this meaning. 4. Share your ideas!