How Is Alliteration Used In The Raven

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Not only is The Raven, Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous poem, it is also the greatest poem in English literature. Throughout The Raven, the narrator’s mental state deteriorates, as he is turned from a sad and slightly nervous man into a shuddering wreck; this makes for a strong and haunting atmosphere. Poe’s crucial word choice captivates his audience; he uses symbolism, sound devices and imagery to create a poem in which the reader is immersed in a scene that is both eerie and chilling.

To begin, symbolism is present throughout The Raven, it is used to bring haunting images to the mind of the reader and to create a deeper meaning than the literal words could convey. Lenore represents a flawless woman, the narrator sees her as an ideal, in …show more content…

Alliterations, which are a pair of identical or similar constants, are frequently seen throughout the poem. An example of an alliteration in The Raven is: “For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—“ (11). The alliteration here is with the words rare and radiant, this sound device engages the person’s auditory senses, making the reader more attentive to detail. To continue, rhyming is seen in great quantity in this poem, by having internal rhymes, The Raven has a good metre. An example of rhyming is: “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary”. The words weary and dreary rhyme; rhyming gives the poem a subtle repetitive quality and allows the reader to remember the words more easily. As well, repetition is a key component in The Raven, it is what transforms the narrator. The most prominent repetition in this poem is "Quoth the Raven, Nevermore" (48). The first time “nevermore” is said the man doesn’t think much of it and then as it is repeated it slowly turns into a horrifying prophecy. In conclusion, through the use of sound devices, The Raven has a good rhythm and beat as well, the haunting atmosphere becomes more …show more content…

The use of vivid adjectives makes the poem haunting and thrilling. An example of descriptive language is: “And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain / Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before” (13-14). This passage shows that the narrator has been thrilled by the terrors; words like “uncertain rustling” set the eerie atmosphere. To continue, there are many examples of personification in The Raven, this means that human characteristics are being applied to inanimate objects. An example of this is: “And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor” (8). By applying human traits to the ember, this enhances the haunting atmosphere, since the reader is able to more easily connect. As well, through word choice, Poe is able to create scenes that are scarier and simpler to understand. Here, the connection between the raven and evil is seen: “And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, / And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor” (105-106). In this quote, the raven is haunting the narrator; it shows the demonic nature of the bird. The quote also shows the madness of both characters and narrator is superstitious of the word “nevermore”. Therefore, the use of descriptive language, that is imagery, has a huge impact on the scary

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