1. Edgar Allan Poe-werpoint
By Mr. Faulkner

2. Disclaimer:
You have to write all the stuff in this PowerPoint that is in red.

3. Early Life
Edgar Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809, to David and Elizabeth Poe. Elizabeth (his mom) died in 1811 shortly after separating from David and taking the three children David, Edgar, and Rosalie, with her.

4. The three children were separated
David lived with their grandparents
Edgar was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. John Allan
Rosalie was adopted by another family.

5. Schooling When Poe was 6, he went to school in England for 5 years.
He learned Latin and French, as well as math and history.
He later returned to school in America and continued his studies.
Edgar Allan went to the University of Virginia in 1826 at age 17.

6. Problems Begin
Even though John Allan had plenty of money, he only gave Edgar about a third of what he needed.
Although Edgar had done well in Latin and French, he started to drink heavily and quickly became in debt. He had to quit school less than a year later.

7. The Army Days
Edgar Allan had no money, no job skills, and had been shunned by John Allan (his adoptive father). Edgar went to Boston and joined the U.S. Army in 1827 at 18.
He did reasonably well in the Army and attained the rank of sergeant major. In 1829, Mrs. Allan died and John Allan tried to be friendly towards Edgar and signed Edgar's application to West Point Military Academy.

8. West Point
In 1830, Edgar Allan entered West Point as a cadet. He didn't stay long because John Allan refused to send him any money.
It is thought that Edgar purposely broke the rules and ignored his duties so he would be dismissed.

9. Struggling Writer
In 1831, Poe went to New York City where he had some of his poetry published. He submitted stories to a number of magazines and they were all rejected.
Poe had no friends, no job, and was in financial trouble. He sent a letter to John Allan begging for help but none came.
John Allan died in 1834 and did not mention Edgar in his will.

10. Marriage
In 1836, Poe married Virginia Clemm, his thirteen-year-old cousin.
She died in 1847 from tuberculosis.

11. Career
Poe worked as a newspaper editor and writer throughout his life, but he never made enough money to be comfortable.

12. Death
On October 3, 1849, Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore delirious, "in great distress, and... in need of immediate assistance", according to the man who found him, Joseph W. Walker.
He was taken to the Washington College Hospital, where he died on Sunday, October 7, 1849, at 5:00 in the morning. To this day, people are still not sure just HOW he died. . .

13. Poe was never coherent long enough to explain how he came to be in his dire condition, and, oddly, was wearing clothes that were not his own.
Poe is said to have repeatedly called out the name "Reynolds" on the night before his death, though it is unclear to whom he was referring.

14. Some sources say Poe's final words were "Lord help my poor soul."
All medical records, including his death certificate, have been lost

15. Newspapers at the time reported Poe's death as "congestion of the brain" or "cerebral inflammation", common euphemisms for deaths from disreputable causes such as alcoholism.

16. The actual cause of death remains a mystery…

17. LEGACY
Poe is considered to be one of the greatest American writers of all time
He is best known for his short stories and his poems (he never wrote full length novels)
Additionally, Poe is widely considered to be one of the writers who helped perfect the art of the short story which was still an emerging literary form during his time

18. Poe was also the inventor of detective fiction – his short story “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841) is recognized as the first modern detective story (it came out decades before Sherlock Holmes was created)
He’s further credited with contributing to the emerging (at the time) subgenre of “science fiction”
Most – but not all – of his stories feature mystery and the macabre

19. What does “macabre” mean?
(Adjective) disturbing or horrifying because of involvement with or depiction of death and injury
Synonyms: gruesome, grisly, grim, morbid, ghastly, grotesque, hideous
From French macabre from Danse Macabre (translated to “Dance of Death”)
The term “macabre” perfectly encapsulates a lot of Poe’s works (specifically the ones we will read)

20. Most known works Short Stories:
“The Black Cat” “The Cask of Amontillado”
“The Masque of the Red Death”
“The Pit and the Pendulum”
“The Tell-Tale Heart”
Poems:
“Annabel Lee”
“The Raven”
“A Dream within a Dream”
“Lenore”

21. Poe Memes = Fire

23. The Raven Terms to Know:
Stanza – the major divisions of poetry; think of them as poetic paragraphs
Alliteration - the repetition of consonant sounds
Assonance- the repetition of vowel sounds

24. The Raven Terms to Know: Onomatopoeia - words that imitate sounds
Internal rhymes - the rhymes of poetry within the line, not just at the end of the line.
Allusion – a reference to a well known story in literature such as mythology

25. The Raven
Narrative Poetry p.145
Like fiction, a NP contains the elements of plot, conflict, character, and setting that combine to create a story. These elements are often condensed.

26. The Raven
In this poem, the speaker – or voice that talks to the reader – is also the main character of the story of the poem.

27. The Raven
Important:
The poet = The speaker

28. The Raven
We will discuss the poem in stanzas so that we can comprehend the complex elements within it.

29. Only this and nothing more.”
The Raven
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 someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door-
“Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door-
Only this and nothing more.”
What characteristic of gothic literature is in the first stanza of the poem?

30. The Raven
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 of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore - Nameless here for evermore.
*Surcease- to put to an end*
Who is the narrator grieving?
What is the setting of the story?

31. The Raven
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,‘
What characteristic of gothic literature does this stanza meet?

32. The Raven
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.
Who is knocking on the narrator’s door?
What other movies are you familiar with that use this gothic characteristic?

33. The Raven
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 darkness 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.
What does the nothingness say to the narrator?

34. The Raven
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 threat is, and this mystery explore - Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; - 'Tis the wind and nothing more!‘
What again begins after the door is closed? Where is the noise coming from this time?

35. *Mien- a person’s manner
The Raven
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 made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he; But, with *mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door - Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door - Perched, and sat, and nothing more. *Obeisance- sign of respect
*Mien- a person’s manner
Bust of Pallas is a symbol- Pallas/Athena is the goddess of wisdom. We will come back to this later.

36. Decorum- decent behavior
The Raven
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore, `Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven. Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore - Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' Beguiling- Charming
Decorum- decent behavior
The Night’s Plutonian shore- Poe is using several dark images here; the night is spooky enough, but he calls it Plutonian- Hades’s home; the shore compares the night to a vast ocean, a mysterious, dark place. Therefore, the night is a hellish mass of darkness.

37. What does the narrator think that ‘Nevermore’ means?
The Raven
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 above the sculptured bust above his chamber door, With such name as `Nevermore.‘
What does the narrator think that ‘Nevermore’ means?

38. What is the bird suggesting in this stanza? *Placid- calm
The Raven
But the raven, sitting lonely on the *placid bust, spoke only, That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. Nothing further 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.‘
What is the bird suggesting in this stanza? *Placid- calm

39. The Raven
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 of his hope that melancholy burden bore Of "Never-nevermore."‘
Now the narrator comes up with a different reason as to why the bird says ‘Nevermore.’ What is it this time?

40. What is the narrator thinking about in this stanza?
The Raven
But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul 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 bird of yore - What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking `Nevermore.‘
What is the narrator thinking about in this stanza?

41. What (or maybe who) is the narrator thinking about in these lines?
The Raven
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!
What (or maybe who) is the narrator thinking about in these lines?

42. The Raven
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen *censer Swung by *Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor. `Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee Respite - respite and *nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore! *Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.‘
*Censer- a vessel in which incense is burned
*Seraphim- Angel
*Nepenthe- remove depression
*Quaff- drink

43. The Raven
`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! - Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest 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? - tell me - tell me, I implore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.‘
Balm in Gilead- peace after death; is there an afterlife?

44. The Raven
`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, It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore - Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels name Lenore?' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' Aidenn- Hebrew word for Eden. The narrator’s question is will his soul meet Lenore in paradise

45. The Raven
`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!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' What does the narrator want the bird to do?

46. The conclusion of the story is that the narrator-
The Raven
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; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted - nevermore!
The conclusion of the story is that the narrator-

47. The Raven
Why does the raven then sit on the bust of Pallas- the goddess of wisdom?
Why does the Raven always say “Nevermore”?
What does the Raven represent (symbolize)?
Writing Discussion
Is “The Raven” a story of
Sadness and Loss? or
Madness?
Using evidence from the poem, write a paragraph (minimum of six sentences) that explains your claim.

48. The Raven Unreliable Narrator??
Due to the late hour of the poem's setting and to the narrator's mental turmoil, the poem calls the narrator's reliability into question.
At first the narrator attempts to give his experiences a rational explanation, but by the end of the poem, he has ceased to give the raven any interpretation beyond that which he invents in his own head.

49. The Raven Writing Discussion Is “The Raven” a story of
Sadness and Loss? or
Madness?
Using evidence from the poem, write a paragraph (minimum of six sentences) that explains your claim.