Question

but the raven still beguiling all my fancy 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.”

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!

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 hath 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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

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!

preview: refer back to the first stanza. which elements of style and sound are continued in stanza 12?

question: keeping these definitions in mind...
nepenthe- a drug described in homer’s odyssey as banishing grief or trouble from a person’s mind
balm in gilead- biblical allusion to high-quality ointment with healing properties

write 3 questions in your own words that the speaker is asking of the raven:
1.
2.
3.

summarize: the mood changes again in this section of the poem. using only one word, sum up the mood of stanzas 12–18.
underline the words that contribute to this mood.

evaluate: what does the raven symbolize and how effective is this symbol? in other words, how successfully does the symbol choice convey the intended meaning and mood?

rating: ★★★★★
explanation:

Explanation:

Answer:

1. Will I ever be free from the pain of losing Lenore?
2. Is there any hope for me to find peace and forget my sorrow?
3. Can you tell me if I will be reunited with Lenore in the afterlife?

(For the "Summarize" part) Desperate

(For the "Evaluate" part - example response) The raven symbolizes the speaker’s unending grief and the inescapable nature of loss. This symbol is highly effective as the raven’s repeated “Nevermore” reinforces the speaker’s despair, creating a haunting and hopeless mood that lingers, mirroring the permanence of his sorrow. Rating: ★★★★☆ Explanation: The raven’s persistent presence and refusal to offer comfort emphasize the speaker’s inability to move past his grief, making the symbol a powerful representation of eternal mourning.