Topic outline

  • General

    The Raven

    by

    Edgar Allan Poe

    •   Time: 6 weeks

        Level: 7-10

        Key Learning Areas: English

        Skills required: Low level IT skills

  • The Writer

    Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe lived a short but extraordinary life during which he struggled to earn a living as a writer. His death at the age of 40 was shrouded in mystery and included the mysterious Poe Toaster. 

    A good place to begin in understanding the context of the poem is with the writer himself.

    • What sort of person was Poe? Did aspects of his life  - such as his upbringing, his debts and his marriage - influence his writings? 
    • Where and when was the poem written? How does The Raven reflect the popular culture of the day?
    • This poem can be classified as one of Poe's Gothic writings. Was this the only genre that Poe wrote?

  • The Poem

    RavenThe Raven is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow fall into madness. The lover, often identified as being a student, is lamenting the loss of his love, Lenore. Sitting on a bust of Pallas, the raven seems to further instigate his distress with its constant repetition of the word "Nevermore". 

    An analysis of the poem can include investigation into:

    • the style of the poem - The Raven is a Gothic narrative. What does this mean?
    • how does the title relate to the poem?
      • What is the significance or the role of the raven?
    • who is the speaker in the poem?
      • do they speak in the first person?
      • who are they speaking to?
    • who are the other characters in the poem?
      • how do they relate to the speaker?
    • some things are repeated within the poem. What are they and what is their meaning?
    • what is the mood and tone of the poem?
      • how do you feel after reading it?
      • how would you describe the poem in one word or two?
    • what is the theme of the poem?
      • what is the subject?
      • who is the audience?
      • what is the speaker hoping to achieve by telling his story?
    • the opening and closing lines of the poem. 
      • does the opening provide any information on the setting or the state of mind of the main character?
      • does the closing line provide a conclusion to the story.
    • how does time flow in the story?
      • over what period of time do the events take place?
    • what is the rhythm of the poem?
      • is there a dominant rhythm or cadence?
      • does the rhythm match the mood?

  • The Task

    Your task is to create a multimedia presentation of The Raven using video, still images, music and an audio version of the poem. You will need to consider the images that you use and select music that suits the the mood of the poem.Visuals may be obtained from the web or images that you create yourself. Music too can sourced from different places or an original composition.

    You will be assessed by presenting your multimedia presentation to an English teacher after which you will be asked to justify your choice of audio and visuals.

    • The Resources

      Here are several resources you might find useful.