Laura B

THE RAVEN
The unnamed narrator is alone in his house on a cold December evening, trying to read. As
he is about to fall asleep, he hears a quiet knock at his door, but decides to ignore it. He says
that he has been reading in the hopes of relieving his sorrow over Lenore, his beloved, who
has passed away. Though he tries to convince himself that nothing is there, his curiosity and
fear overwhelm him. He eventually opens his door, speaking “Lenore?” into the darkness.
When he hears tapping at his window, he opens that, too, and a Raven flies inside his room,
landing on a bust of Pallas. The narrator jokingly asks the Raven’s name, and is surprised to
hear it respond “Nevermore.” The narrator jokingly asks the Raven’s name, and is surprised
to hear it respond “Nevermore.” He mutters to himself that the Raven will probably leave
him just as his friends and loved ones did, to which the Raven responds once more
“Nevermore.” The narrator then seats himself directly in front of the bird, trying to
understand what it means by “Nevermore.”
Suddenly, the narrator perceives that angels sent by God have caused the air to become dense
and perfumed. Anxious, he asks the Raven if the angels are a sign that heaven will relieve
him of his sorrows, to which the bird says, again, “Nevermore.” With the same response, the
bird rejects his hope that he might see Lenore again in heaven, as well as his impassioned
request for the bird to leave him alone. Finally, the narrator tells us that the Raven has
continued to sit atop his chamber door above the bust of Pallas, and that he will live forever
in its shadow.
Themes:
Death and the Afterlife
“The Raven” explores death. More specifically, this poem explores the effects of death on
the living, such as grief, mourning, and memories of the deceased, as well as a question that
so often torments those who have lost loved ones to death: whether there is an afterlife in
which they will be reunited with the dead.
Memory and Loss
Often, memories of the dead are presented as purely positive – as a way for the departed to
continue to exist in the hearts and minds of those who remember them, and as a source of
comfort for those who are still alive. “The Raven” flips this notion on its head, envisioning
memories of a deceased loved one as a sorrowful, inescapable burden.
Symbols:
“Night’s Plutonian shore”
“Plutonian” is a reference to Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld. The narrator, upon
first encountering the Raven, is amused by its stately comportment, and jokingly accuses it
of having emerged from the “Night’s Plutonian shore”— the border between the worlds of
the living and the dead.
 Laura B
The Raven
Ravens are commonly viewed as symbols for evil, death, and supernatural forces. The
narrator sees the Raven not just as symbolizing death, but as symbolizing a specific kind of
death: a death without heaven, a death that is simply the end.
Pallas
“Pallas” refers to Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom. The Raven, by landing on the
bust when it flies into the room, signifies a threat to the narrator’s reason.
Tone:
The tone of “The Raven” is dark and melancholic. Poe uses words such as “bleak,” “haunted”
“ghastly” and “grim” to create an atmosphere of despondency and sadness.
Alliteration:
Poe creates a strong internal rhyme through the use of alliteration, or repetition of sounds.
Throughout the poem, Poe repeats the consonant “s” sounds and deep vowel “or” sounds to
create a sonorous effect
Metaphor:
Poe uses metaphors and figurative language that reflect the poem’s despondent and dark tone.
For example, he compares everyday items in his room to ghosts and images of the
underworld. A fire ember on the floor is transformed into a “ghost,” just as the ordinary
Raven is transformed into a spirit sent from hell.
ESSAY
The poem, “The Raven,” written by Edgar Allen Poe shows the deep depression and
confusion that the narrator is experiencing since the death of his beloved wife. The
melancholic setting of the poem predicts the visit of the Raven, whom is a sign of misfortune,
darkness, and death. Throughout the poem, the narrator is continually mourning his wife,
Lenore. He hopes that the Raven will bring good news regarding his wife and his future;
however, the Raven informs him that he will forever remain depressed. Furthermore, Poe
uses setting, strong word choice, and symbolism to illustrate the Raven as the messenger of
darkness and explain the narrator’s emotional state. The loss of a loved one is considered to
be a major disruption in a person's life, having an impact on the relationships, health and
morale of the person concerned.
In conclusion, Edgar Allan Poe has reflected in his poem “The Raven” that a loved one’s
death will leave behind an eternal sorrow.
 Laura B

THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO

The narrator begins by telling us that Fortunato has hurt him. Even worse, Fortunato has
insulted him. The narrator must get revenge. He meets Fortunato, who is all dressed up in
jester clothes for a carnival celebration − and is already very drunk. The narrator mentions
he’s found a barrel of a rare brandy called Amontillado. Fortunato expresses eager interest in
verifying the wine’s authenticity.
So he and the narrator go to the underground graveyard, or “catacomb,” of the Montresor
family. Apparently, that’s where the narrator keeps his wine. The narrator leads Fortunato
deeper and deeper into the catacomb, getting him drunker and drunker along the way.
Fortunato keeps coughing, and the narrator constantly suggests that Fortunato is too sick to
be down among the damp crypts, and should go back. Fortunato just keeps talking about the
Amontillado.
Eventually, Fortunato walks into a man-sized hole that’s part of the wall of a really nasty
crypt. The narrator chains Fortunato to the wall, then begins to close Fortunato in the hole by
filling in the opening with bricks. When he has one brick left, he psychologically tortures
Fortunato until he begs for mercy – and we finally learn the narrator’s name: Fortunato calls
him “Montresor.”
After Fortunato cries out Montresor’s name, he doesn’t have any more lines. But just before
Montresor puts in the last brick, Fortunato jingles his bells. Then Montresor finishes the job
and leaves him there to die. At the very end, Montresor tells us that the whole affair happened
fifty years ago, and nobody has found out.
Themes:
Freedom: For one character to be free, another must die.
Betrayal, alcohol and ego.
Tone: sinister and creepy tone.
 Laura B

ESSAY:
"The Act of Revenge"

In Edgar Allan Poe's "A Cask of Amontillado" we learn of a man who seeks vengeance on
an acquaintance, named Fortunato, who irreparably insulted him. "THE thousand injuries of
Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge."
(1) The story starts by defining a grudge that Montresor holds against Fortunato, and then
goes on to explain that Montresor seeks vengeance in an impunity way. Leading Fortunato
deep into his family's catacomb on a quest for a sherry known as Amontillado, Montresor's
idea of plastering Fortunato into a brick sepulcher quickly becomes a reality. Once ensnared,
Fortunato was left to die. His tomb was left untouched for years to come. We learn in the
story that revenge is a dish best served cold.
The theme of revenge in the story is strongly advised. The story begins with Montresor
explaining the he has been irreparably insulted. Once his plan has been thought of as an act
of impunity Montresor acts. Leading Fortunato away from the carnival and deep into the
catacombs of his family, Montresor's plan of revenge quickly falls into place.
The character’s costumes and names play a major role of setting the theme. We find that
Fortunato is ironically named. Fortunato, closely resembling the word fortunate, actually
ends up being very unfortunate in the story. Montresor wears a silk black mask along with a
roquelaire showing the readers that he is the dark manipulative figure in the story. Leading
Fortunato deep into his family's catacombs, Montresor plasters Fortunato into a brick grave,
and leaves him there to die.
In conclusion, I find that every aspect of the story was very well thought out, from the setting
to the costumes, the structure of the story, etc. From the beginning to the end I was strongly
intrigued and couldn't help but to feel anticipation, wondering what the final retribution of
Fortunato's wrong doing was going to be.