The Raven is
probably Poe’s most famous poem, and one that most people have heard or read at
least once. For me, though, it’s really something special. The Raven was one of the first poems I ever learned, and it is what
kindled my love for Poe and really opened my eyes to the darker side of
fiction.
I loved this poem from the very first time I heard it,
probably when I was in elementary school. I liked the images of this menacing
bird appearing out of nowhere to haunt this poor man, but I really loved the
way the poem sounded. The rhythm and
flow of the poem is almost enticing. It pulls you in from the very beginning
and tosses you around on all these waves of emotion, slowing down and speeding
up with the thoughts of the speaker, until you’re almost screaming along with
him at the end. I also remembering feeling proud, in elementary school, when I
could go back to this poem and begin naming some of the elements— alliteration, onomatopoeia,
imagery, allusion.
I know sound can add so much to a poem, and The Raven, along with Alfred Noyes’ The Highwayman, has always been one of
my favorite poems to read aloud. One of my favorite bands, Omnia, has a version
of the poem set to music, and it is absolutely amazing.
