Edgar Alan Poe uses rhetorical devices in writing "The Raven" such that he can create a poem that is enticing for the reader. In his essay "The philosophy of Comoposition," Poe discusses his use of such devices to enhance his poem.
Firstly, he touches upon his use of the device he reters to as "refrain." In other words, the use of a word in repetition. In determing which word to use as' his refrain, Poe establishes that he wants a long "o" as the "most producible vowel" and an "r" acting as "the most producible vowel"(Poe 5). He eventually stumbles upon the word nevermore, which inevitably made its way into his poem. In the binning of the poem, before the raven was introduced as a character, Poe uses the words "nothing more" in repetition, ending the first seven stanzas with those words. Once the raven is introduced, however, Poe uses "nevermore" as the refrain for the following eleven stanzas.
Poe also uses a metaphor as a rhetorical device. The quote, "take thy break from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"(Poe 101) is the first example of a metaphor in the poem. The raven's beak is not literally piercing through the student's heart, however he feels pain in the fact he will never see Lenore again. This is the first instance that regards the raven as symbolic in any way. The last sentence of the last stanza makes it evident that the raven is indeed symbolic of sorrow and forever a memory of his sweet Lenore.
Edgar Alan Poe's "The Raven" is based largely on pathos. Pathos refers to arguments of the heart. Poe raises the emotion of sorrow in his poem. The reader feels sympathy for the character of the poem because he has lost his love. The raven, being that he responds to all of the man's questions with "nevermore" provides as a device that fuels the man's sorrow. Because it is predetermined what exactly the raven is going to say in response to the man's pleas, Poe allows for the reader to feel more sympathy for the man. By using words such as "ghastly" and "grim" to describe the raven, Poe arises the feeling of melancholia in his writing. By describing the raven in this way, Poe symbolizes how the symbolic meaning of the raven, or that of his remembrance of Lenor, will forever be "ghastly" and "grim."
The devices that Poe uses (specifically the word choice and diction he chooses) enhances the tone of melancholy. Your description of the word "nevermore" illuminated this ominous, inescapable tone. Something I noticed when I read this poem was that "nevermore" rhymed with "Lenore" - perhaps suggesting that the two are linked. Both of the words have similar sounds and have letters in common. Perhaps Poe is suggesting that Lenore will "nevermore" be forgotten. Earlier in the poem, the narrator notes that although she is dead and "nameless", Lenore is still "here for evermore" (Poe 12). He is unable to escape the melancholy feelings he has surrounding her passing.
ReplyDeletePoe's use of Pathos makes a convincing addition to his overall effect of love and melancholy. The ready does indeed feel sympathy for the narrator, and Poe's use of killing beauty and innocence (Lenore), also causes the readers to feel fear of death. The symbolic raven becomes an "ill omen" and does in fact herald in "ghastly" and "grim" truths.
Celi, you really emphasized the calculative approach Poe took to writing "The Raven" and I was wondering what you guys thought of that.
ReplyDeleteFor me, by focusing so on what words would create what feelings and creating a map of his poem prior to writing it, Poe absolutely dismissed writer's intuition and the pure passion of writing. I was kind of upset by this, because I like to think, corny as it may be, that writers write from the heart.
In a way, Poe's "Philosophy of Composition" sucked all the fun out of his writing. I used to see him as this tortured soul, but now I wonder if works like "The Raven" and "The Tell Tale Heart" were just his attempts to make a buck.
I understand the practicality of Poe's approach, but as a reader, I no longer trust that his words represent anything of him and his own passions, fears, etc.