The Raven (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Edgar Allan Poe
- First Published: 1845
- Type of Work: Poem
- Genres: Poetry, Ballad
- Subjects: Love or romance, Nineteenth century, Despair, God, Gods or goddesses, Reading, Bereavement or grief, Afterlife, Birds
“The Raven” is unquestionably Poe's most famous poem. After its publication, it became so well known that its refrain “nevermore” became a catchphrase repeated by people on the street. Poe, who told one friend that he thought the poem was the greatest poem ever written, was delighted one night at the theater when an actor interpolated the word into his speech, and almost everyone in the audience seemed to recognize the allusion.
The work remains Poe's best-known poem today partly because, in his “Philosophy of Composition,” Poe describes what he claims was the method...
[The entire page is 927 words long]
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