37 pages • 1 hour read
Edgar Allan PoeThe Raven
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1845A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“When We Two Parted“ by George Gordon Byron (1816)
A paragon of Romanticism, the English poet George Byron (often referred to colloquially as “Lord Byron”) had a substantial impact on Poe’s literary development. Much of Poe’s early poetry has clear markers of Byron’s influence, and Byron was unique among English and American Romantic poets in being rarely criticized by Poe. “When We Two Parted” highlights many of the themes Poe would feature in his own work: grief, the conflation of lost love and death, and the heavy burden of memory.
“Lady Geraldine’s Courtship“ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1844)
Published in 1844, “Lady Geraldine’s Courtship” is widely acknowledged to be the metrical model for “The Raven.” One line of the poem even seems to have directly inspired a line in Poe’s work (compare Barrett Browning’s “With a rushing stir, uncertain, in the air, the purple curtain” to Poe’s “And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain”). In a nod to this debt, Poe dedicated his 1845 collection The Raven, and Other Poems to Barrett Browning.
“The Snow-Storm“ by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1835)
Both prominent American Romantics of their age, Edgar Allan Poe and Ralph Waldo Emerson had vastly different outlooks on the human mind. Emerson’s “The Snow-Storm” highlights his concentration on the beauty of nature, but also his vision of an interior space—the home—as a place of refuge from the elements outside. This reflects his view of the interior life of the mind as a realm of safety and comfort for the individual. Compare this to Poe’s chamber in “The Raven,” which suggests claustrophobia, anxiety, and fear.
Further Literary Resources
“How Edgar Allan Poe Became Our Era’s Premier Storyteller” by Michael Capuzzo (2019)
In his article, Capuzzo explores the lasting impact Poe, the “most influential American author ever,” has had on American literature. From English classrooms and social media groups, to The Simpsons and an NFL football team (the Baltimore Ravens), Capuzzo draws attention to Poe’s unparalleled influence on American culture, in particular the country’s fascination with detective stories, the rejection of religious taboos, and its love of dark and haunting tales.
Edgar Allan Poe: The Fever Called Living by Paul Collins (2014)
Collins’ more recent biography of Edgar Allan Poe takes a close look at the brief life of one of America’s most famous and conflicted writers. The biography depicts Poe as a genius who is driven to succeed, but whose wellbeing is relentlessly undermined by a life of hardship and self-sabotage. Collins paints a sympathetic picture of a man whose success “was not earned through tragedy, but in spite of it.”
On a Raven’s Wing: New Tales in Honor of Edgar Allan Poe by Stuart Kaminsky (2009)
In a commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Poe’s birth, modern writers from the Mystery Writers of America such as Mary Higgins Clark, Thomas H. Cook, Don Winslow, contributed their own “chilling” stories inspired by Poe. The collection demonstrates the influence of poems such as “The Raven” on American writers and celebrates Poe’s unique talents.
Listen to Poem
American actor James Earl Jones reads “The Raven.” Jones, who spoke with a stutter as a child, is well known by audiences world-wide for his deep, baritone voice, which lends haunting gravitas to the poems. His most famous voice acting roles include Darth Vader, from the Star Wars movies, and Mufasa from the Lion King movies.
Related Titles
By Edgar Allan Poe
