Poetry of Fables, Fairies, and Fauna Fables, Fairies, and Fauna    

Lesson 71: The Raven v. 13-15

by Edgar Allan Poe

Performer: Librivox - Kara Shallenberg

Directions

Study the poem for one week.

Over the week:

• Read or listen to the poem.
• Review the synopsis.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

The Raven's eyes burn through the narrator. The narrator smells incense and believes he hears angels nearby. The narrator calls the Raven a wretch and wishes for a potion to make him forget Lenore. The Raven just croaks back, 'Nevermore.' The narrator wonders whether evil sent the Raven or if the Raven has been sent to soothe him. The raven croaks again, 'Nevermore.'

Vocabulary

Bosom: The human chest.
Divining: Discover something by guesswork, intuition, or supernatural insight.
Censer: A container in which incense is burned.
Incense: A gum, spice, or other substance that is burned for the sweet smell it produces.
Seraphim: Angels.
Nepenthe: A drug described in Homer's Odyssey as banishing grief or trouble from a person's mind.
Quaff: To drink heartily.
Prophet: A person who makes or claims to be able to make predictions.
Tempest: A violent windy storm.
Balm: A fragrant ointment or preparation used to heal or soothe the skin.
Gilead: A region in modern day Jordan. In the poem, is a reference to a Biblical quote, 'Is there no balm in Gilead?' meaning is there no peace, no end to the pain and suffering?

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite the Title, the Poet's Name, and the Poem

• Each day this week, recite aloud the title of the poem, the name of the poet, and the poem. Instructors may need to prompt children line-by-line.

Activity 2: Study the Poem's Companion Painting

• Study the painting below, and describe it in your own words.

Find the following in the companion painting:

• The Raven
• Pallas
• Bust
• Doors
• Seraphim
• The Narrator
• Chair

Activity 3: Narrate the Poem

• After reading or listening to each verse of the poem, narrate the verse events aloud using your own words.

Activity 4: Color the Poem   

• Click the crayon above, and complete pages 78-79 of 'Poetry Coloring Pages for First Grade.'

Activity 5: Draw the Poem

• One day this week, after you read the verses of the poem, draw the seraphim from the poem.

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the poem?

1 / 4

Answer 1

The title of the poem is 'The Raven v. 13-15

1 / 4

Question 2

What happens in these verses of the poem?

2 / 4

Answer 2

The Raven's eyes burn through the narrator. The narrator smells incense and believes he hears angels nearby. The narrator calls the Raven a wretch and wishes for a potion to make him forget Lenore. The Raven just croaks back, 'Nevermore.' The narrator wonders whether evil sent the Raven or if the Raven has been sent to soothe him. The raven croaks again, 'Nevermore.'

2 / 4

Question 3

Where does the poem take place?

3 / 4

Answer 3

The poem takes place in the narrator's chamber.

3 / 4

Question 4

Who are the characters in the poem?

4 / 4

Answer 4

The narrator, the Raven, and perhaps some Seraphim.

4 / 4

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the poem? The title of the poem is 'The Raven v. 13-15
2. What happens in these verses of the poem? The Raven's eyes burn through the narrator. The narrator smells incense and believes he hears angels nearby. The narrator calls the Raven a wretch and wishes for a potion to make him forget Lenore. The Raven just croaks back, 'Nevermore.' The narrator wonders whether evil sent the Raven or if the Raven has been sent to soothe him. The raven croaks again, 'Nevermore.'
3. Where does the poem take place? The poem takes place in the narrator's chamber.
4. Who are the characters in the poem? The narrator, the Raven, and perhaps some Seraphim.