RL 1, RL 4, RL 5, L 4 VIDEO TRAILER KEYWORD: HML11-435A ......Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

Teach

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435

American Gothic

How do people handle loss?At some point in our lives, we all face loss—of someone we love, our favorite pet, or even a cherished dream. But even though the experience of loss is universal, people can choose many different ways to cope with the sadness and grief they feel. What do people need to do to face their grief and move on?

DISCUSS Working in small groups, think about some ways people respond to a serious loss. Discuss how they express their own feelings and what they do to adjust to the changes that the loss creates. What patterns can you identify?

The RavenPoem by Edgar Allan Poe

text analysis: sound devicesFirst published in 1845, “The Raven” became an instant hit. Part of the poem’s popularity was due to Poe’s clever use of sound devices, patterns of word sounds used to create musical effects.

• Rhyme, the repetition of similar sounds, is one of the easiest sound devices to spot. Poe adds variety by using internal rhyme, rhyming words that fall inside a line.

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;

• Repetition, of rhymes and of words and phrases, helps give “The Raven” its distinctive rhythm.

As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

• Alliteration, the repetition of initial consonant sounds, is used to create rhythm or to stress key words.

While I nodded, nearly napping . . .

• Onomatopoeia is the use of words that sound like their meaning, such as the word rustling in this example:

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

As you read, note how Poe combines these sound devices to form complex rhythmic patterns.

Review: Stanza and Rhyme Scheme

reading skill: make inferences“The Raven” tells a story without directly stating all of the important details. You’ll need to use clues in the poem to make inferences about the speaker’s situation. As you read, use a chart like the one shown to record your inferences and the clues that helped you. By the end of the poem, you’ll be able to draw conclusions about what the speaker experiences.

Inferences About the Speaker

Clues

State of Mind

Recent Experiences

Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

KEYWORD: HML11-435AVIDEO TRAILER

Go to thinkcentral.com.KEYWORD: HML11-435

AuthorsOnline

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differentiated instruction

RL 1 Cite evidence to support analysis of inferences drawn from the text. RL 4 Analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone. RL 5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning, as well as its aesthetic impact. W 3 Write narratives using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. W 3b Use narrative technique such as dialogue to develop a character. W 3d Use precise words and phrases to convey a vivid picture of the character. L 2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization and punctuation when writing. L 4 Determine the meanings of words and phrases as they are used in the text.

How do people handle LOSS?Read aloud the paragraph. As students suggest ways in which people cope with grief, list their answers on the board. Encourage them to refer to the list as they complete the DISCUSS activity.

Model the Skill: sound devices

Have students read these lines of verse: The clank of armor, the clank of steelEchoed all that dismal day.We in the crowd could keenly feelThe gallant knight’s strength slip away.

Point out these examples of rhyme, repeti-tion, alliteration, and onomatopoeia in the lines rhyme: steel/feel, day/away; repetition: clank; alliteration: dismal/day, crowd/could/keenly, strength/slip; onomatopoeia: clank.GUIDED PRACTICE Ask students to find sound devices in other poems.

T E X T A N A L Y S I S

Model the Skill: make inferences

Have students fill out inferences for the four-line verse in the Text Analysis box. Have them begin a chart for “The Raven” and complete it as they read.

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MasterMake Inferences p. 175

R E A D I N G S K I L Lfor struggling readersConcept Support: Make Inferences Remind students that the purpose of the chart on this page is to make inferences that are spe-cifically about the speaker of the poem, not about other aspects of the poem. With the help of the chart, students should formulate an impression of the speaker. They should make guesses about what has happened in his life and how he has responded to it. They should seek clues to whether he is sane or mad, and whether he is believable or not.

for english language learnersConcept Support: Sound Devices To expose students to the rhymthic patterns Poe cre-ates, read aloud lines 1–12, emphasizing the rhyme and cadence of the lines. Point out the rhyme, repetition, and alliteration Poe uses in this passage. Then have mixed-ability pairs take turns in reading the lines. Discuss how well they create rhythmic patterns in their reading.

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436 unit 2: american romanticism

RavenEdgar Allan Poe

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Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door— Only this and nothing more.” a

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrowFrom my books surcease1 of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore— Nameless here forevermore. b

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtainThrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating“’Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;— That it is and nothing more.”

1. surcease: an end.

The

Analyze VisualsWhat techniques has the photographer used that make the raven on page 437 seem mysterious?

a

SOUND DEVICESReread lines 1–6. What pattern of internal rhyme does Poe establish in the first stanza?

b

MAKE INFERENCES Reread lines 9–12. What does this passage imply about Lenore’s connection to the speaker and the reason for her absence? Give details to support your answer.

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R E A D I N G S K I L L

summaryIn this poem, the speaker is sitting at home grieving over the loss of his love, Lenore, when a raven enters through the window. The speak-er asks the raven’s name and the bird replies, “Nevermore.” As the speaker asks the bird for relief from suffering, for assurance that he and Lenore will be reunited, and finally for the bird to leave, the bird repeats, “Nevermore.”

for english language learnersLanguage: Punctuation and Print Cues Students may be confused by Poe’s frequent use of dashes. Point out that the dashes often introduce repetitions of word patterns or ideas, as in “perched above my chamber door— / Perched . . . just above my chamber door” (lines 40–41). These repetitions indi-cate the speaker’s excited, distressed state of mind. Invite relatively fluent students to read such passages aloud in an appropriate dramatic tone.

for struggling readersDevelop Reading Fluency• Have students listen to “The Raven” on the

Audio Anthology CD. Encourage them to lis-ten for how inflections in the reader’s voice establish mood.

• Have students practice establishing mood by reading the poem aloud with the same inflections as the audio reader.

Practice and Apply

read with a purposeHelp students set a purpose for reading. Tell them to read the poem to learn if the raven provides the speaker relief from his grief.

a Model the Skill: sound devices

Point out that the sound device of internal rhyme consists of a rhyme that occurs within a single line of a poem, not at the ends of two different lines. Answer: There is a rhyming pair in the first line (dreary/weary) and one in the third line (napping/tapping), that repeats in the fourth and fifth lines (rapping, tapping). The pattern varies in subsequent stanzas.

b Model the Skill: make inferences

To assist students in making inferences, have them begin filling out the chart that was introduced on page 435.

Inferences About the Speaker

Clues

State of Mind

grief repetition of “sorrow”

Recent Experiences

lost his love, Lenore

“sorrow for the lost Lenore,” “nameless here forevermore”

Possible answer: Lenore is a woman the speaker loved, who has died. Details: “sor-row for the lost Lenore,” “angels”


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Analyze Visuals

Possible answer: The photographer uses black and white with high contrast and blurred details, making the raven jump out at viewers while appearing slightly indistinct. The effect is one of uncertainty or mystery.

tiered discussion promptsIn lines 1–18, use these prompts to help stu-dents understand the poem’s emotions:

Connect Have you or anyone you know ever been startled by an unexpected visitor? How did it feel? Accept all reasonable responses. Interpret What does the speaker’s frequent repetition tell you about his emotional state? Possible answer: He is agitated and obsessed.Evaluate Does Poe’s use of repetition in the first three stanzas achieve its purpose? Pos-sible answer: It achieves its purpose by emphasizing the speaker’s disturbed state.

background Ravens Ravens are large, loud, aggressive birds; they are keen-sighted, wary, and usually solitary. They are long-lived and, as pets, may learn to mimic several words. Ravens were a symbol of prophecy to many cultures who associated them with mystery, evil omens, death, and disease. Ravens’ fearlessness and cleverness have earned them admiration. Poe’s raven alights on a bust of the Greek goddess of wisdom, Pallas Athena, whose symbol was the owl. Poe first considered using an owl or parrot as his bird, but chose a raven because of its symbolic associations.

for struggling readersComprehension Ask three volunteers to read each of the first three stanzas aloud. After all three stanzas have been read, ask students to predict who is tapping at the speaker’s door and why.

for advanced learners/apEvaluate Have students suppose that Poe wrote about an owl, parrot, or some other bird in this poem. Tell students to rewrite two stanzas, substituting another bird for “raven” whenever it appears in the text. Students should make any other changes to the text in their stanzas that would better suit the dif-ferent bird choice. Afterwards, have students evaluate Poe’s choice of raven for his poem.

This selection on thinkcentral.com includes embedded ThinkAloud models–students “think-ing aloud” about the story to model the kinds of questions a good reader would ask about a selection.

Reading Support

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Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, “Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;— Darkness there and nothing more. c

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore!”This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word “Lenore!” Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice;Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;— ’Tis the wind and nothing more!”

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore.2

Not the least obeisance3 made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;But, with mien4 of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—Perched upon a bust of Pallas5 just above my chamber door— Perched, and sat, and nothing more. d

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore, “Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven,6

Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian7 shore!” Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.” e

Much I marveled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore;For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

2. days of yore: days of long ago.

3. obeisance (I-bAPsEns): a gesture of respect.

4. mien (mCn): appearance.

5. bust of Pallas: statue of the head and shoulders of Pallas Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom.

6. craven: coward.

7. Plutonian: having to do with Pluto, Roman god of the dead and ruler of the underworld.

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SOUND DEVICESIdentify the alliteration in lines 45–46. What words are emphasized by using this technique?

d

SOUND DEVICESReread lines 37–38. What example of onomatopoeia can you find?

c

STANZA AND RHYME SCHEMERecall that a poem’s rhyme scheme is its pattern of end rhyme. Describe the rhyme scheme of this poem. How does Poe use repetition as part of the rhyme scheme?


T E X T A N A L Y S I S : Review



for struggling readersVocabulary Support• implore (line 20), “beg”• token (line 27), “sign”• lattice (line 33), “window frame”• beguiling (line 43), “tricking”• decorum (line 44), “formal behavior”• countenance (line 44), “facial expression”• discourse (line 49), “speech”

c stanza and rhyme scheme

Answer: abcbbb. The fourth and fifth lines repeat the same rhyming word, which is not true end rhyme.

d sound devicesRemind students that onomatopoeia means words that sound like their mean-ing. Answer: An example of onomatopoeia is “flutter.”

e sound devicesPossible answer: Examples of alliteration include “horn, shaven, sure, shore; ghastly, grim”. Alliterated words are emphasized. Extend the Discussion What mood or emotion is emphasized by the alliteration of these specific words?


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the raven 439

Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door—Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door, With such name as “Nevermore.”

But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke onlyThat one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.Nothing farther then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered—Till I scarcely more than muttered “Other friends have flown before—On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.” Then the bird said, “Nevermore.” f

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and storeCaught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful DisasterFollowed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden8 bore—Till the dirges9 of his Hope that melancholy burden bore Of ‘Never—nevermore.’”

But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linkingFancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore—What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking, “Nevermore.” g

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressingTo the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;This and more I sat divining,10 with my head at ease recliningOn the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er,But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er, She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censerSwung by Seraphim11 whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.“Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent theeRespite—respite and nepenthe12 from thy memories of Lenore;Quaff,13 oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!” Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”

8. burden: the chorus or refrain of a song.

9. dirges: songs of mourning.

10. divining: guessing from incomplete evidence.

11. censer / Swung by Seraphim (sDrPE-fGm): container of sweet burning incense swung by angels of the highest rank.

12. respite . . . and nepenthe (nG-pDnPthC): temporary relief and a forgetfulness that eases grief.

13. quaff: drink deeply.

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MAKE INFERENCES Reread lines 58–59. What does this comment suggest about the speaker’s past experiences and his current mood? Explain.

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SOUND DEVICESIdentify the sound device used in lines 71–72. What qualities of the raven are emphasized by the use of this device?

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revisit the big questionHow do people handle LOSS?Discuss In lines 79–84, what grief does the speaker feel? Possible answer: He feels grief at the loss of his love, Lenore.

for struggling readersConcept Support: Make Inferences To help students make inferences about the speaker’s state of mind, suggest that they distinguish between the aspects of the poem that are fantasy and parts that could happen in real life. For instance, birds cannot really talk, but people really can grieve over loss. Have stu-dents focus on the realistic aspects in order to understand the speaker.

for advanced learners/apAnalyze [paired option] Have students work in pairs to use the Analysis Frame: Poetic Language and Style to deepen their under-standing of Poe’s use of sound devices in “The Raven.”

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyAnalysis Frame: Poetic Language and Style pp. D21, D38

f Model the Skill: make inferences

Read these lines aloud to students. Then have them continue working with the chart introduced on page 435. Ask students to identify words in the poem that suggest a lonely, fearful mood. Possible answer: He has been abandoned, by Lenore and possi-bly by others; he is lonely and feels hopeless. The evidence is “‘Other friends have flown before— / On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.’”

g sound devicesPossible answer: The use of alliteration (“grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt”) empha-sizes the physically unpleasant and emo-tionally unsettling appearance of the raven.

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“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—Whether Tempter14 sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—Is there—is there balm in Gilead?15—tell me—tell me, I implore!” Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,16

It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore—Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.” Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.” h

“Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting—“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!” Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sittingOn the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;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;And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted—nevermore!

14. Tempter: the devil.

15. balm (bäm) in Gilead (gGlPC-Ed): relief from suffering.

16. Aidenn (AdPn): heaven (from the Arabic form of the word Eden).

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MAKE INFERENCES Given the bird’s repeated response, what does the speaker’s persistent questioning of the raven suggest about his state of mind? Explain your answer.

Language CoachWords Easily Confused Tempter and tempest (both in line 86) are pronounced and spelled similarly, but have different meanings. Tempter, here, means “the Devil” and tempest means “violent storm.” What effect does Poe’s use of these similar sounding words have?

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revisit the big questionHow do people handle LOSS?Discuss In lines 89–96, what what words does the speaker express his hope for relief from grief? Possible answer: “‘Is there balm in Gilead?’” (line 89) is a request for relief from grief. “‘Tell this soul with sorrow laden if . . . / It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore’” (lines 93–94) expresses the wish that he be united with Lenore in heaven.

additional teaching opportunityInterpret Remind students that a work of lit-erature may support more than one interpre-tation. In the case of a Poe poem or story, the question often arises, “How much of this is really happening, and how much takes place in the character’s mind?” Ask students whether, in their opinion, the raven is a figment of the speaker’s imagination. Have them find details in the text of the poem to support their view.

selection wrap–upREAD WITH A PURPOSE Now that students have read the selection, ask them to describe how the raven influences the speaker’s state of mind. Possible answer: The raven frustrates and upsets the speaker and leaves him even more grieved than before.

CRITIQUE

• Ask students how convincing Poe makes this narrative.

• After completing the After Reading ques-tions on page 441, have students revisit their responses and tell whether they have changed their opinions.

for advanced learners/apEvaluate Writing in 1893, naturalist and writer John Burroughs criticized Poe as a poet whose only skill was verbal acrobat-ics. He went on to say that Poe’s writing showed a lack of literary thought and an absence of sympathy or love for anything. Ask students to write one or two para-graphs stating whether they agree with Burroughs and why. Remind them to use evidence from Poe’s writings.

for english language learnersLanguage CoachWords Easily Confused Possible an-swer: The use of these similar words in this line is meant to show that the speaker is confused. Has the raven been sent by the Devil (Tempter), or just blown in by a passing storm (tempest)? Have students reread “The Raven” and identify a differ-ent word that is pronounced and spelled similarly to another word in the poem.

h make inferencesPossible answer: The speaker is so desper-ate and grief-stricken that he clings to an irrational hope that the bird will say some-thing comforting.


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After Reading

Comprehension 1. Recall Where and when do the events of the poem take place?

2. Recall What is the raven’s response to all of the speaker’s questions?

3. Clarify What is the speaker’s explanation of the raven’s one response?

Text Analysis 4. Make Inferences Review the inferences you made as you read. What

conclusions did you draw about the speaker and his emotional state?

5. Examine Tone For each of the following passages, describe the speaker’s tone, or attitude, toward the raven. What explains the speaker’s changing responses to his mysterious visitor?

• the raven’s first appearance (lines 43–44) • the thoughts the raven inspires (lines 71–74)• the purpose the speaker attributes to the raven (lines 81–84)• the speaker’s command to the raven (lines 97–98)

6. Compare and Contrast Imagery Poe uses imagery to create a stark contrast between Lenore and the raven. Using a chart like the one shown, list images that describe each character. What do these images communicate about each character? Cite evidence.

7. Evaluate Sound Devices Reread lines 79–84. Identify the rhymes and other sound devices used in this stanza, and give examples of each technique. Which of these devices do you find most compelling or effective? Explain your answer.

Text Criticism 8. Author’s Style In an essay about “The Raven,” Poe claimed that he started

with the word nevermore (he liked its vowel sounds), then added the death of a beautiful woman (“the most poetical topic in the world”). Only later did he invent the story and characters that readers have found so moving and memorable. Poe seems to have been more interested in form than content. Which do you find more important in this poem? Cite details in your answer.

How do people handle loss?Consider the speaker’s changing responses to the raven throughout the poem. What does the speaker’s conflict with the raven suggest about the behavior of people who are struggling with grief?

Lenore Raven

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RL 1 Cite evidence to support analysis of inferences drawn from the text. RL 4 Analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone. RL 5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning, as well as its aesthetic impact.

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Practice and ApplyFor preliminary support of post-reading questions, use these copy masters:

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MastersSound Devices p. 173Question Support p. 177Additional selection questions are provided for teachers on page 169.

answers 1. The events take place at midnight on a

stormy night in December in the speaker’s chamber.

2. The raven’s response is “Nevermore.” 3. The speaker explains that the raven picked

up the word from its master, who must have had exceptionally bad luck to have repeated the word often enough for the bird to learn it.

Possible answers:

4. common core focus Make Infer-ences Some students may say the speaker is mad with grief; others may say he is emotionally unstable, dreaming, or both.

5. Lines 43–44: amused; lines 71–74: thought-ful, fascinated; lines 81–84: anguished; lines 97–98: enraged. The raven’s unchanging response irritates and exasperates the speaker to madness.

6. Lenore: angels, radiant, sainted maiden; raven: black, stern, hellish, deathlike (Plu-tonian), ancient, grim, tempter. Based on these images, Lenore represents happiness, love, innocence; the raven represents tor-ment and despair.

7. common core focus Sound Devices Onomatopoeia: tinkled; alliteration: censer, swung, Seraphim, foot-falls, floor, tinkled, tufted; end-rhyme: floor, Lenore, Never-more; internal rhyme: denser, censer, lent thee, sent thee, Nepenthe; repetition: words such as respite, quaff, and Lenore. Students’ opinions of the devices will vary.

8. Accept all reasonable answers.

How do people handle LOSS? Possible answer: The volatile emotions of people struggling with grief can cause them to engage in irrational behavior.

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Language grammar and style: Craft Effective Sentences Poe uses imperative sentences—sentences that give orders or make requests—and dashes to convey his character’s excitable state. The use of dashes and a tone of breathless urgency are distinctive features of Poe’s style.

“Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fi end!” I shrieked, upstarting—“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!” (lines 97–98)

PRACTICE Using the following verse from “The Raven” as a model, compose your own stanza in the style of Poe, incorporating dashes and imperative sentences. Feel free to choose a different subject, but make sure to follow Poe’s rhyme scheme and to echo his tone. A sample beginning is provided for you.

example

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—“You pest, begone!”—I cried—near choking.—“Take from me your wretched joking!”

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!”

Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”

reading-writing connectionExpand your understanding of Poe’s “The Raven” by responding to this prompt. Then, use the revising tips to improve your monologue.

YOUR

TURN

Go to thinkcentral.com.KEYWORD: HML11-442

InteractiveVocabulary


• Include your speaker’s thoughts, emotions, and spoken words.

• Use first-person pronouns, such as I, me, and my.

• Include at least one sen-tence that gives an order or makes a request.

• Use dashes to show pauses, urgency, or strong emotions.

WRITE A MONOLOGUE A monologue is a lengthy passage or speech in which a single character expresses thoughts in an uninterrupted flow, with no other character’s words intervening. Monologues in literature often explore a character’s feelings. Write a one-page prose monologue, in your own voice or that of a fictional character, that explores an emotion, such as grief or joy. In your monologue reveal details about your speaker’s personality and the reasons for his or her emotional response.

writing prompt revising tips

L 2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization and punctuation when writing. W 3 Write narratives using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. W 3b Use narrative technique such as dialogue, to develop a character. W 3d Use precise words and phrases to convey a vivid picture of the character.

NA_L11PE-u02s45-arRav.indd 442 1/6/11 11:02:55 AMdifferentiated instructiondifferentiated instructiondifferentiated instruction

Language grammar and style

To further model the activity, ask volunteers to make up imperative sentences and say them aloud. Then have students add dashes to those sentences to give urgency. Since Poe often inserts dashes when adding repetitions of phrases or clauses, suggest that students use this technique in their sample sentences. (For more on imperative sentences, see Grammar Handbook, page R64.)

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MasterCraft Effective Sentences p. 178

reading-writing connectionHave students use the Freewriting strategy to set their or their speaker’s thoughts down spontaneously.

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKITFreewriting p. C1

Assess and ReteachAssessDIAGNOSTIC AND SELECTION TESTS

Selection Test A pp. 137–138Selection Test B/C pp. 139–140

Interactive Selection Test on thinkcentral.comReteachLevel Up Online Tutorials on thinkcentral.com

Reteaching Worksheets on thinkcentral.comLiterature Lesson 19, Literature Lesson 21,Literature Lesson 22, Reading Lesson 8

for struggling writersWriting Support• Point out that a monologue may contain

sentence fragments and run-on sentences in order to capture the feeling of real thought.

• Although students’ freewriting may pro-duce good first drafts by capturing a spon-taneous flow of thought, urge students to revise their monologues carefully to express

the feelings and thoughts they want in exact language.

• Suggest that students choose a specific emotion first as a way of focusing their monologues.

• Remind students to include specific facts and details about the speaker’s situation rather than merely expressions of feeling.

All of the interactive tools and features on WriteSmart are also available online at thinkcentral.com—in the Writing Center.

Writing OnlineThe following tools are available online at thinkcentral.com and on WriteSmart CD-ROM:

• Interactive Graphic Organizers• Interactive Student Models• Interactive Revision Lessons

For additional grammar instruction, see GrammarNotes on thinkcentral.com.

Writing Online


L 2, W 3, W 3b, W 3d

L11TE-u02s10-usher_NA.indd 442L11TE-u02s10-usher_NA.indd 442 1/26/11 10:19:24 AM1/26/11 10:19:24 AM

John Bennett

Could Poe walk again to-morrow, heavy with dyspeptic sorrow,

While the darkness seemed to borrow darkness from the night before,

From the hollow gloom abysmal, floating downward, grimly dismal,

Like a pagan curse baptismal from the bust above the door,

He would hear the Raven croaking from the dusk above the door,

“Never, never, nevermore!”

And, too angry to be civil, “Raven,” Poe would cry “or devil,

Tell me why you will persist in haunting Death’s Plutonian shore?”

Then would croak the Raven gladly, “I will tell you why so sadly,

I so mournfully and madly, haunt you, taunt you, o’er and o’er,

Why eternally I haunt you, daunt you, taunt you, o’er and o’er —

Only this, and nothing more.

“Forty-eight long years I’ve pondered, forty-eight long years I’ve wondered,

How a poet ever blundered into a mistake so sore.How could lamp-light from your table ever in the

world be able,From below, to throw my sable shadow ‘streaming

on the floor,’When I perched up here on Pallas, high above

your chamber-door? Tell me that — if nothing more!”

5

10

15

Then, like some wan, weeping willow, Poe would bend above his pillow,

Seeking surcease in the billow where mad recollections drown,

And in tearful tones replying, he would groan “There’s no denying

Either I was blindly lying, or the world was upside down—

Say, by Joe!—it was just midnight—so the world was upside down—

Aye, the world was upside down!”

20

�hat�roubled Poe’s�aven

PARODY Like other well-known and well-loved works of literature, “The Raven” has inspired many a parody—a comic imitation of another work or type of literature. As you read the following parody, note the points of imitation in form or content. In what ways does the parodist turn Poe’s ideas to comic effect?

connect: poem 443

Connect: Poem

NA_L11PE-u02s46-cPoe.indd 443 11/22/10 3:36:29 PMNA_L11PE-u02s45-arRav.indd 442 11/22/10 3:36:18 PM

tiered discussion promptsIn lines 1–24, use these prompts to help stu-dents understand the connection between this parody and Poe’s “The Raven”:

Summarize What mistake in Poe’s poem does the raven point out in “What Troubled Poe’s Raven”? What two possible explana-tions does Bennett’s Poe give in the last four lines? Possible answer: The mistake is that Poe’s poem describes the lamplight from below the table casting the raven’s shadow onto the floor. This is optically impossible. The explanations are either that Poe was lying or that, in the context of the poem, the world was “upside down.”Analyze What does the passage about the mistake (lines 13–24) show you about the personalities of Poe and of the raven? Possible answer: Bennett’s poem shows Poe as a shifty character who makes excuses for his errors, and the raven as highly perceptive and persistent but nitpicking.Evaluate How successful is Bennett’s poem as a parody of “The Raven”? In what ways do you think it is most effective, and in what ways do you think it is least effective? Possible answers: Accept reasonable an-swers, such as that the parody is effective in mimicking Poe’s sound devices but that by concentrating on a trivial mistake, it fails to make any substantive points about Poe’s poem.

connect: poem 443


Documents

RL 1, RL 4, RL 5, L 4 VIDEO TRAILER KEYWORD: HML11-435A ......Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—