Outline For The Raven Essay
Callie Graham
English 3H p2
Detailed Outline I. Thesis – why and how Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven is a vital literary piece to the start of the era of gothic literature, and how it embodies the traits of basic gothic literature II. The basic elements of gothic literature a. Intricate plot i. Includes complex and complicated narratives, plots within plots, episodic nature, strange/fragmented writing, all aimed at producing the effect of a dreamlike quality b. Chaos of irrationality c. Personified setting ii. The setting so intricate, charged with emotion, and detailed that it becomes a character in itself d. Themes iii. Terror and suspense iv. Disillusions of appearance …show more content…
The biggest use of this theme comes in around line 85, when the narrator begins to think that the bird’s “Nevermore” refrain has turned from meaningless, amusing nonsense into terrifying truth. He is not emotionally or mentally stable, so when he begins to believe that the bird is some kind of physic, satanic, cruel creature, rather than a mammal whose instinct is to repeat whatever words it has been exposed to, the reader begins to become disillusioned as well, wondering if the phrase really was meaningless. VII. Use of diction and elaborate writing style n. Poe, known for his extensive vocabulary, uses many references to outside objects that most readers wouldn’t pick up on (see symbols). By using this old English vocabulary, it is easy for the reader to transport him or herself into the world of The Raven, away from present day reality. o. The way Poe organizes his poem completely draws the reader into the world of the poem. If close attention is paid, one will notice that the rhyme scheme goes ABCBBB, written in trochaic octameter. However, Poe plays with this regular verse. Instead of staying with sixteen syllables per line, for the last line of each stanza, only seven syllables are used. For every other “B” in the rhyme scheme, fifteen syllables are used. This draws the reader into paying close attention to the “or” sound at the end of these lines, making the poem rhythmic and
English 3H p2
Detailed Outline I. Thesis – why and how Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven is a vital literary piece to the start of the era of gothic literature, and how it embodies the traits of basic gothic literature II. The basic elements of gothic literature a. Intricate plot i. Includes complex and complicated narratives, plots within plots, episodic nature, strange/fragmented writing, all aimed at producing the effect of a dreamlike quality b. Chaos of irrationality c. Personified setting ii. The setting so intricate, charged with emotion, and detailed that it becomes a character in itself d. Themes iii. Terror and suspense iv. Disillusions of appearance …show more content…
The biggest use of this theme comes in around line 85, when the narrator begins to think that the bird’s “Nevermore” refrain has turned from meaningless, amusing nonsense into terrifying truth. He is not emotionally or mentally stable, so when he begins to believe that the bird is some kind of physic, satanic, cruel creature, rather than a mammal whose instinct is to repeat whatever words it has been exposed to, the reader begins to become disillusioned as well, wondering if the phrase really was meaningless. VII. Use of diction and elaborate writing style n. Poe, known for his extensive vocabulary, uses many references to outside objects that most readers wouldn’t pick up on (see symbols). By using this old English vocabulary, it is easy for the reader to transport him or herself into the world of The Raven, away from present day reality. o. The way Poe organizes his poem completely draws the reader into the world of the poem. If close attention is paid, one will notice that the rhyme scheme goes ABCBBB, written in trochaic octameter. However, Poe plays with this regular verse. Instead of staying with sixteen syllables per line, for the last line of each stanza, only seven syllables are used. For every other “B” in the rhyme scheme, fifteen syllables are used. This draws the reader into paying close attention to the “or” sound at the end of these lines, making the poem rhythmic and