1. Poe Journal and Discussion Questions

2. Concerning “The Raven”
Do you think the speaker in The Raven is “mad”? Why or why not?
Is it possible that the Raven doesn’t exist? If so, explain. If not, how do you explain the fact that it speaks?

3. 2A. What might the Raven represent in this story?
2B. Why do you think the Raven says the word “Nevermore” and nothing else?
3. Why does the speaker continue to ask questions even after he recognizes the raven always has one answer?
4. What can you infer about the speaker’s grief, based on the last few lines of the poem?

4. The Tell-Tale Heart
5. Do you think the speaker in the Tell-Tale Heart was ever “mad”? 6. To whom do you think the speaker of TTH is telling this story? (Read the first paragraph again) How do you know? 7. The speaker tells of his “disease” in the first paragraph – what disease do you think he’s talking about? Why?

5. The Tell-Tale Heart
8. Was the heart really beating after the speaker killed the old man? What might the heart represent to the speaker?
9. Imagine you are the lawyer for the narrator in “Tell-Tale Heart,” and you must present a case for his innocence before a jury. What points might you make in his defense?

6. Compare/Contrast Each Narrator
Narrator in “The Raven”
Narrator in “Tell-Tale Heart”
Similarities

7. Pretend that you know nothing about Edgar Allen Poe. 10
Pretend that you know nothing about Edgar Allen Poe. 10. Do you think Poe was “mad”? 11. Can someone create these types of stories while being completely sane, or must one be a little bit “mad” in order to create stories so gothic?