hi how are you thanks for trying to help me i have a poetry presentation due tommorow on the raven and the only thing i cant find is what structure and tone Poe uses in the poem. such as regular meter or ryhme? Versification verse movement or pace like a b a c d a? if you can help asap ill appreciate it greatly. have a nice day

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2000

Answers

Michele,

While this may be somewhat late, it comes from Poe himself. In his essay, "The Philosophy of Composition" he says...

"Of course, I pretend to no originality in either the rhythm or metre of the "Raven." The former is trochaic B the latter is octametre acatalectic, alternating with heptameter catalectic repeated in the refrain of the fifth verse, and terminating with tetrameter catalectic. Less pedantically B the feet employed throughout (trochees) consist of a long syllable followed by a short: the first line of the stanza consists of eight of these feet B the second of seven and a half (in effect two-thirds) B the third of eight B the fourth of seven and a half B the fifth the same B the sixth three and a half. Now, each of these lines, taken individually, has been employed before, and what originality the "Raven" has, is in their combination into stanza; nothing even remotely approaching this combination has ever been attempted. The effect of this originality of combination is aided by other unusual, and some altogether novel effects, arising from an extension of the application of the principles of rhyme and alliteration."

Sorry for the delay.

Regards,

-- Anonymous, October 24, 2000