Poe: the poet and the critic

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), a passionate poet from Boston, hides a mystery both in his biography and literary career. His unstable life mingles with his melancholy poems and his grotesque tales. He published his first book of poetry when he was eighteen and he continued a prolific career as a poet, wit, gambler and heavy drinker! In 1845 he wrote his most famous work “The Raven”, in which “the most poetical topic in the world” is presented (according to Poe’s own words).
As we said in class, "The Raven" is a beautiful, musical, complex poem that can be read accompanied by Poe's own words in "The Philosophy of Composition", which throws light into the poetic text.
The diction, rhyme (both internal and external -at the end of lines), repetitions and alliterations, the refrain in the last line of each stanza, are some of the procedures that Poe used to convey a strong musicality. We should also consider that the poetic persona is obssessed, and transmits this state of mind through the repetitions, and the overwhelming presence of the black raven.
All these issues contribute to the creation of effect, one of the main topics in the essay "The Philosophy of Composition".

Activities to do at home
Read the poem “The Raven”, and listen to the musicality produced in these verses. Which different elements contribute to build this musicality?
Accompany your reading of the poem with the essay “The Philosophy of Composition”, by the same author, and underline the main ideas in the text. What does Poe want to demonstrate with this essay?