The Raven and the Pit and the Pendulum
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BEFORE YOU READ The Raven and The Pit and the Pendulum MEET EDGAR ALLAN POE oday’s authors might well envy Edgar Allan Poe. More than 150 years after his death, he Tis still one of the world’s most popular writers and continues to captivate a wide audience. Known primarily as a master of horror and suspense tales, he is also credited with inventing the detective story and contributing to the development of science fiction. Despite his talent, Poe led a troubled life marked by poverty, restlessness, and loneliness. Still, he spent much of his life struggling—moving from city to city, from job to job. He was unable to escape his spirit-breaking poverty. “They who dream by day are In 1847, just as Poe seemed to be gaining recognition for his writing, his world collapsed. His wife died at cognizant of many things which escape the age of twenty-four, and Poe plunged into a sorrow those who dream only by night.” too deep to bear. Two years after his wife’s death, Poe was found delirious on the streets of Baltimore and —Edgar Allan Poe, from “Eleonora” died shortly thereafter, completely alone. Poe’s Influence Nineteenth-century French poets Poe’s Early Life Poe was born in Boston, the son such as Charles Baudelaire greatly admired Poe for his of traveling actors. His father abandoned the family use of symbolism in his poetry. To the Irish poet W. B. when Poe was an infant, and his mother died a year Yeats, Poe was “certainly the greatest of American later. John and Frances Allan, a wealthy couple poets.” Poe’s story “The Unparalleled Adventures of from Richmond, Virginia, became his foster parents. One Hans Pfaal” influenced Jules Verne and other Though Poe got along well with his foster mother, science-fiction writers. Fictional detectives such as he and John Allan frequently quarreled. Allan Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and many others refused to pay for Poe’s education at the University are modeled after C. Auguste Dupin, the detective of Virginia because of his heavy gambling debts and Poe introduced in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” wild life. Later, when Poe was expelled from West Modern writers of horror influenced by Poe include Point for deliberately breaking rules, his relationship Richard Matheson, Anne Rice, and Stephen King. with his foster father abruptly ended. The Mystery Writers of America (MWA) annually Penniless, Poe moved to Baltimore, where he lived confers the Edgar Allan Poe Awards® to recognize with his aunt and her daughter, Virginia Clemm. He outstanding achievement in the mystery genre. had already published three volumes of poems and The award is a statuette of Poe. But perhaps the now began to write short stories. In 1835 he returned strongest proof of Poe’s enduring popularity is the to Richmond, where he edited the Southern Literary name of the National Football League team in Messenger and married his cousin Virginia. Baltimore—the Ravens. Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809 and died in 1849. Poe’s World During Poe’s lifetime, the literary world in the United States was centered in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. Poe contributed stories For more about Literature Online AuthorAuthor Search Search For more and poems to an assortment of journals in these cities. Edgarabout Allan this author, Poe, go go to to www.glencoe.comwww.literature.glencoe.com. 242 UNIT 2 AMERICAN ROMANTICISM Bettmann/CORBIS 0242-0249 U2P2App-845481.indd 242 4/6/06 4:41:02 PM LITERATURE PREVIEW READING PREVIEW Connecting to the Poem Reading Strategy Analyzing Sound Devices Have you ever enjoyed a song, movie, or story that dealt Poets take advantage of words’ sounds as well as with extremes of emotion? Perhaps it was a sad song their meanings. Two common sound devices are the about lost love, a suspenseful film of high adventure, or repetition of words and alliteration, the repetition of a chilling tale that riveted you to the edge of your seat. consonant sounds at the beginnings of words. For example, Poe uses alliteration to create an almost Why do you think stories involving extremes of • hypnotic effect in phrases like “weak and weary.” As emotion are popular? you read, look for examples of these sound devices. • What types of settings in stories or movies can produce extremes of emotion? Reading Tip: Taking Notes On a chart, list examples Building Background of repetition and alliteration and describe their effects. “The Raven” was first published in 1845 in the Evening Mirror, a New York newspaper. In commenting Sound Devices Examples Effects on this work, Poe wrote that he set out to create a poem with a melancholy effect and that nevermore alliteration “nodded, nearly was the first word that came into his mind, both for its napping” sound and for its meaning. The subject of the poem, he decided, would be the death of a beautiful woman, “unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world.” His first thought was to have nevermore repeated by a parrot, but he decided that a raven was “equally capa- ble of speech, and infinitely more in keeping with the Vocabulary intended tone.” lattice (latəs) n. a structure of crisscrossed strips, Setting Purposes for Reading commonly wood or metal, that forms a pattern of openings; p. 246 The neighbor’s dog tried to push its Big Idea The Power of Darkness nose through the fence lattice between our yards. As you read, notice how the Romantics’ fascination beguile (bi ¯l) v. to influence by deceit; to with madness and death is displayed in “The Raven.” trick; p. 246 The amateur magician’s tricks beguiled only the children in the audience. Literary Element Narrative Poem placid (plasəd) adj. calm; peaceful; undisturbed; A narrative poem is a poem that tells a story. p. 247 The surface of the placid lake reflected the Although the story is told in lines and stanzas—and few clouds in the sky. may include figurative language, imagery, rhythm, and rhyme—narrative poetry also includes elements of respite (res pət) n. a period of rest or relief, as storytelling such as setting, characters, and plot. As you from work or sorrow; p. 247 The students all read “The Raven,” notice these elements of fiction. looked forward to the respite of summer vacation. balm ( ) n. something that heals or soothes, See Literary Terms Handbook, p. R12. bam • as an ointment; p. 248 The aloe gel worked as a balm, cooling my painful sunburn. Interactive Literary Elements Handbook To review or learn more about the literary elements, go to www.glencoe.com. OBJECTIVES In studying this selection, you will focus on the following: • understanding narrative poetry • analyzing how a poem is related to themes of the • analyzing sound devices historical period EDGAR ALLAN POE 243 0242-0249 U2P2App-845481.indd 243 1/9/07 2:25:50 AM Edgar Allan Poe 244 Scala/Art Resource, NY 0244-0248 U2P2SEL-845481.indd 244 4/6/06 5:01:57 PM 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 chamber1 door. 5 “’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door— Only this and nothing more.” 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 10 From my books surcease2 of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore— For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore— Nameless here for evermore. And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; 15 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.” Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, 20 “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. 25 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!” 30 Merely this and nothing more. 1. A chamber is a room. 2. Surcease means “an end.” Literary Element Narrative Poem What element of storytelling is established in these lines? Reading Strategy Analyzing Sound Devices Why might Poe have used alliteration in this line? EDGAR ALLAN POE 245 0244-0248 U2P2SEL-845481.indd 245 4/6/06 5:02:01 PM 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— 35 Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;— ’Tis the wind and nothing more!” 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.3 Not the least obeisance4 made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he; 40 But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door— Perched upon a bust of Pallas5 just above my chamber door— Perched, and sat, and nothing more.