Mckenna poetry analysis.docx..docx

8/19/2019 Mckenna poetry analysis.docx..docx

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/mckenna-poetry-analysisdocxdocx 1/4

Dean 1

McKenna Dean

Dr. Kerri Allen

English 1102-09

11 March 2015

“The Raven”: Effects f !neliness an" #rief

“The Raven” $% E"gar Allan &e tells a str% f a 'an( the narratr( living in lneliness

an" grief. The narratr $ec'es 're an" 're )nsta$le ver the lss f his *reci)s !enre(

an" the "ar+ness ta+es ver his life( res)lting in his s)ici"e. &e )ses alliteratin( es*eciall% ,ith

har" cnsnant s)n"s( t sh, h, ')ch 're intense the grief is $ec'ing thr)gh)t the

str%. Als( he )ses a s*ecific rh%'e sche'e an" the re*etitin f rh%'ing ,r"s an" *hrases t

+ee* the str% 'ving )ic+l% s that rea"ers can )n"erstan" h, ra*i"l% the events f the str%

*rgress an" h, )nsta$le the narratr is $ec'ing. !astl%( &e creates a ver% "rear% setting an"

)ses i'ager% t hel* rea"ers )n"erstan" the "ar+ness insi"e f the narratr. &e "e'nstrates

h, lneliness an" grief can event)all% cns)'e ne if he all,s it t +ee* $)il"ing )* insi"e f

hi'.

Thr)gh)t the str%( &e )ses alliteratin t sh, h, intense the narratrs grief is

$ec'ing. Thr)gh the alliteratin( ne can vis)ali/e the agn% the narratr is ging thr)gh an"

h, it is cns)'ing hi'. r ea'*le( the narratr sa%s( “D)$ting( "rea'ing "rea's n 'rtal

ever "are" t "rea' $efre” 234. The re*etitin f the har" " s)n" 'a+es the rea"er *h%sicall%

feel the intensit% f the grief the narratr is e*eriencing. These har" cnsnant s)n"s are )se"

$% &e t create tensin an" *ain in the rea"er hi'self. As the narratr $ec'es 're )nsta$le(

an" is reaching his $rea+ing *int( the alliteratin an" the *resence f harsh cnsnant s)n"s

$ec'e 're an" 're fre)ent. r ea'*le( in the seventh fr' the last stan/a f the *e'(



Dean 2

the narratr sa%s( “hat this gri'( )ngainl%( ghastl%( ga)nt( an 'in)s $ir" f %re” 614. 7e

)ses this line t "escri$e h, irritate" he is $ec'ing at the raven( ,hich has $een the i'age

)se" t sh, the level f his insta$ilit% thr)gh)t the *e'. As he $egins t $ec'e 're

)nsta$le( the alliteratin is )se" 're an" 're in reference t the $ir". Then( in the secn" t

last line f the secn" t last stan/a( the narratr sa%s( “ Ta+e th% $ea+ fr' )t '% heart( an"

ta+e th% fr' fr' ff '% "r8” 1014. This re*resents the *ea+ f his fr)stratin( right $efre

he en"s the str)ggle $% +illing hi'self.

Als( &e )ses a s*ecific rh%'e sche'e an" the re*etitin f rh%'ing ,r"s an" *hrases

t set the *ace f events in the narratrs life fr the rea"er an" t sh, the increasing insta$ilit%

f the narratr. The narratr sa%s( “hile n""e"( nearl% na**ing( s)""enl% there ca'e a

ta**ing( As f s'e ne gentl% ra**ing( ra**ing at '% cha'$er "r” ;-<4. ith the cnstant

rh%'ing ,r"s thr)gh)t these t, lines( rea"ers ten" t rea" the lines faster. &e *)ts thse

,r"s tgether t frce the rea"ers t rea" at the *ace he ,ants t $e set in the *e'. =eginning

the re*etitin f rh%'ing ,r"s an" *hrases s earl% n in the *e' hel*s t i''e"iatel% sh,

h, fast events are ging t cc)r later in the *e'. This ra*i"it% f *ace hel*s rea"ers t

a)t'aticall% sense the )rgenc% *rtra%e" in the *e'. As the str% *rgresses( s " the rh%'es

an" re*etitin f certain *hrases> s)ch as “&r*het8” sai" ( “thing f evil?*r*het still( if $ir" r

"evil8” @5( 914. This line refers t the raven( an" is )se" t sh, h, 'a""ene" he is $ec'ing

$% it. This fre)enc% f rh%'e an" f certain *hrases als hel*s the rea"er t vie, the narratrs

gr,ing insta$ilit% 're clearl%. Als( the narratr sa%s “)th the raven( “Bever're.” @<( 90(

93( 1024. 7e sa%s this at the en" f f)r stan/as in a r,( ,hich are f)r )t f the last five. 7e

sa%s this line cnsistentl%( al'st 'c+ing the raven( as he is reaching the height f his

fr)stratins. This is significant $eca)se the nl% ti'e in the last five stan/as that he "es nt en"



Dean ;

,ith this line is in the last stan/a( as he is en"ing his life. At the en" f the last stan/a( the

narratr sa%s( “Chall $e lifte"?never're8” 10@4. The significance f this line is that he is )sing

the ravens ,r"( $)t instea" f )ting it( he is sa%ing it hi'self. The narratr )ses this t en"

the *e' a$r)*tl% an" t en" his gr,ing insta$ilit%( $% en"ing his life.

inall%( &e creates a setting an" )ses i'ager% that $th reflect the narratrs feelings.

&e sh,s the grief an" the "ar+ness the narratr feels $% creating a '%steri)s( "rear% setting.

The *e' $egins ,ith “nce )*n a 'i"night "rear%( ,hile *n"ere"( ,ea+ an" ,ear%>” 14.

=% sa%ing this in the first line f the *e'( the rea"er a)t'aticall% reali/es this is a ver% "ar+

str%. &e even sa%s that this t+ *lace in “the $lea+ Dece'$er>” 64. Bt nl% "es &e *ic+ t

e*ress a vis)al that is ver% "rear%( he als *ic+s the cl"est 'nth fr it t cc)r in. This sh,s

that he ,ants the rea"er t feel the tensin an" the grief $efre he even $egins the str% f ,hat

is cc)rring ,ith the narratr. At the en" f the str%( &e )ses nl% a la'*light t create a

sha", f the raven nt the flr. After the sha", is cast( the narratr sa%s “An" '% s)l fr'

)t that sha", that lies flating n the flr Chall $e lifte"?never're8” 106-10@4. &e )ses

this last i'age f "ar+ness t sh, h, verc'e ,ith grief the narratr is an" h, he chses

t reslve it. &e )ses this sha", an" the la'*light $ehin" it t sh, h, fc)se" n the

"ar+ness( nt the light( the narratr is. This s%'$li/es the narratr giving )* h*e instea" f

clinging t the little light that is left.

&es ,a% ,ith ,r"s is )se" t tell the str% ')ch 're clearl%. Thr)gh the )se f

literar% "evices( a ,rl" f "ar+ness an" grief is seen in the narratrs ,r"s an" actins. The

narratrs grief ver the lss f !enre is felt $% the rea"er $eca)se f &es ,r" chices. &e

)ses alliteratin t *rtra% the grief an" h, it is gr,ing. 7e als )ses rh%'e sche'e an" the

re*etitin f rh%'ing ,r"s an" *hrases t )ic+en the *ace f the str%. This sh,s the ra*i"



Dean <

*rgressin f events an" the gr,ing insta$ilit% f the narratr. inall%( he )ses i'ager% an"

setting t *rtra% the "ar+ness fr the rea"er. =% the )se f his ,r" chice( *lace'ent( setting

an" i'ager%( &e sh,s h, grief an" lneliness can cns)'e ne if he "es nt " an%thing t

c'$at it.

Documents

Mckenna poetry analysis.docx..docx