Think of your favorite poem. What makes this poem memorable? Is it the poem’s imagery, rhyme, meter, tone, or symbolism? Whatever the reason, there are literary elements behind the reasons you have chosen your favorite poem. These literary elements are found in all poems and the reader to connect with the poem, even if they are unaware of the techniques involved bringing the poem to life. One of the most famous poems ever written is Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven.” It has been said that people often enjoy Poe’s works because of his simple style and profound symbolism, which, according to Allen Tate, leads to “a large number of persons who never read poetry before [but] have learned how to read and enjoy it” (214). Through Poe’s use of imagery, diction, and meter, the reader is able to sympathize with the poem’s narrator and understand the confusion of losing a loved one.
Poe uses dark images throughout “The Raven” in order to set the vibe. Many of the images are dark because they emphasize the pain that the narrator is experiencing due to the loss of his love, Lenore. The poem takes place in December, which is generally the darkest and coldest month of the year. December also symbolizes a sense of coming to an end (Hallqvist). If the poem had taken place in another month, such as May or June, the symbolism would drastically change since spring months are usually associated with light-hearted themes and the beginning of positive experiences. According to Poe, he chose the month of December as part of his setting so that he could make the night “tempestuous, first to account for the Raven’s seeking admission, and, secondly, for the effect of contrast with the (physical) serenity within the chamber” (“Philosophy”). We connect with the narrator in understanding that he is going through a lonely time after his wife has passed away because of the time in which the poem takes place.
Another image repeatedly brought up is the idea that the narrator is drifting off to sleep as he sits alone in his study. Dreams symbolize that the narrator may simply be imagining what is happening around him, such as the visit from the raven, or that his life is in a haze. The narrator repeatedly refers to his state of sleepiness when he claims he “nodded, nearly napping,” “dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before,” and when he refers to the raven claiming, “And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming” (Poe “Raven” 55, 56, 58). The reader can relate to the state of dreaming while going through a depressing experience. The narrator reiterates his dream state in order to instill in the reader that his state of grief runs so deep that he is not completely conscious of his surroundings.
The raven itself is perhaps the most obvious symbol in that he brings forth dark and lonely feelings in the narrator. The raven reminds the narrator of Lenore and the fact that she will be with him “nevermore,” symbolizing the narrator’s dark, depressing thoughts that he wishes not to face. The narrator refers to the bird as being “grim, ungainly, gaunt, and ominous” (Poe “Raven”). Since ravens are black, it is only fitting that a dark creature comes to the narrator in his time of depression. Had the raven been another bird, like a parrot or dove, the darkness of the poem would lose its meaning, since parrots symbolize happiness and doves symbolize peace and clarity.
Diction plays a major role in the reader’s understanding of the angst and confusion the narrator is experiencing. Some of the words used throughout this poem are uncommon to most people’s everyday use of vocabulary. Although we can manage to understand the poem overall, the short pauses taken to glance at an unknown word allows there to be a place for the reader to subconsciously experience the new and confusing feelings one might experience while grieving. Besides being hard to understand, the challenging words themselves reveal deeper meanings. One of the most challenging stanzas to understand in “The Raven” reads as follows:
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 nepenth from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore' (57-58).
In this stanza, the narrator uses images of heaven and hell to express his loss of Lenore. In the first line, “censer” literally means “incense.” He describes his thought of “seraphim” angels swinging the fresh scent of incense. For those unfamiliar with the term “seraphim,” it might be hard to determine the meaning of this part of the poem. “Seraphim” is the plural of “seraph,” which is one of the highest ranking angels in heaven (“Seraphim”). The narrator goes on to use the word “respite,” meaning temporarily suspending an event from taking place (“Respite”). “Nepenthe” is an ancient drink which is said to have the power to allow people who drink it to forget their sorrows and troubles (“Nepenthe”). And finally, “quaff” means to drink an intoxicating beverage with enjoyment (“Quaff”). Once all of these terms are defined, the meaning of this stanza is much more clear and simple: The narrator smells incense, which he believes to be held by angels, as he begs them to postpone his sorrows of Lenore.
Another aspect which makes this poem memorable is its meter. Meter is the pattern a poem maintains where rhythm is organized and “imposes on verse a regular recurrence of durations, stresses, or syllables that is intended to parcel a line into equal divisions of time” (Deutsch 90). The meter in “The Raven” mimics the form of a song as it rhythmically flows from one line to the next. The extended length of the lines allows for the reader to slow down and prolong the pauses at the end of each foot, allowing for the reader to take in all of the information about the setting of the poem and the narrator’s thoughts.
Meter also adds to the reader’s conscious or subconscious interpretation of the poem. For example, the reader may feel as though the meter of the poem reflects the ticking of a clock, as the narrator sits alone in his study. We also get the feeling that the narrator is up at all hours of the night, grieving. Poe himself refers to this poem as having been constructed “with the precision and rigid consequence of a mathematical problem” (“Philosophy”). The almost monotonous rhythm of the poem allows for us to identify with the feeling of endlessness the narrator is facing as it continues to emphasize the ticking of a clock.
Although it may not be obvious at first glance, poets use various literary devices to enhance the meaning of their poems. Poe used imagery, diction, and meter (among others) to bring out the sorrow of the narrator in “The Raven.” So the next time you read your favorite poem, ask yourself “What literary devices are used in this poem” and “Do these contribute to the reason why this poem is my favorite?” You may be surprised to find that, in fact, certain literary devices contribute to the significance of the poem. Perhaps you will look at poetry the same “nevermore.”
Works Cited
Deutsch, Babette. "Metre." Poetry Handbook: A Dictionary of Terms. Fourth ed. New
York: Barnes & Noble, 1981. 90. Print.
Hallqvist, Christoffer. "Edgar Allan Poe's ‘The Raven.’" The Poe Decoder. 12
Sept. 2010. Web.
“Nepenthe.” Def. 1 and 2. Dictionary.com. Web.
Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Philosophy of Composition." The Poe Decoder. 12 Sept.
2010. Web.
Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Raven.” 100 Best-Loved Poems. New York: Dover Publications,
1995. Print.
“Respite.” Def. 1. Dictionary.com. Web.
"Seraphim." Def. 2. Dictionary.com. Web.
Smith, Philip, ed. 1995. 100 Best-Loved Poems. New York: Dover Publications, 1995. Print.
Tate, Allen. "The Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe." The Sewanee Review 76.2 (Spring 1968).
JSTOR. Web. 12 Sept. 2010. Web.
“Quaff.” Def. 1. Dictionary.com. Web.
No comments:
Post a Comment