The key part of stanza 11 is the following: what it utters is its only stock and store, Caught from some unhappy master In other words, the speaker, troubled by the appearance of the raven and its repetition of the single word, "Nevermore," reassures himself that the raven doesn't know what it is saying.
What does stanza 11 of the raven mean?
Stanza 11: The narrator rationalizes that the raven's repetition of “nevermore” has nothing to do with his own hopeless state, and that the word is the only one the bird knows. He creates a plausible story about the bird probably having escaped from his master who met an ill fate at sea.
What is the most famous quote from the raven?
The Raven Quotes “Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.”
What does the word surcease mean in the raven?
to come to an endSurcease. As a verb, surcease means "to come to an end" or "to put an end to something." Poe uses it as a noun in "The Raven" to mean "a temporary cessation": Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow. From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—
What does stanza 2 in the raven mean?
The narrator is commenting on how bleak the winter is and watching the fire through ash on the floor. He then looks at his books and remembers his love Lenore that had died.
Why does the raven say nevermore?
The raven says “nevermore” because it symbolizes the main character's grief at the loss of his lover Lenore, reinforcing the truth that he will never see her again. At other points in the poem, the raven says “evermore,” a sign that the grief will continue to last for a long time.
What does the raven symbolize?
The titular raven represents the speaker's unending grief over the loss of Lenore. Ravens traditionally carry a connotation of death, as the speaker himself notes when he refers to the bird as coming from “Night's Plutonian shore,” or the underworld.
What surcease means?
to desist from action: to desist from action also : to come to an end : cease. transitive verb. : to put an end to : discontinue. surcease. noun.
What is a synonym for surcease?
In this page you can discover 33 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for surcease, like: end, stoppage, deferment, cessation, bring to a standstill, delay, desist, rest, stay, stop and arrest.
What does dirges mean in The Raven?
a song or hymn of mourningdirge. a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person. Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore.... ( p.2) Merriam Webster Definition: a song or hymn of grief or lamentation; especially: one intended to accompany funeral or memorial rites.
What does stanza 9 mean in the raven?
Stanza 9: The narrator is shocked at the Raven speaking to him. It feels like his loss and grief are speaking so directly to him. He feels this is an opportunity to see his inner feelings and name it: nevermore. This is how he thinks about never being able to see Lenore again.
What does stanza 10 in the raven mean?
As the raven continues to say "nevermore," the man to whom the raven is speaking is reminded of how his lost love, Lenore, will never come back. Soon, the man realizes "nevermore" is the only word that the raven can say. The raven continues to do nothing else, driving the man into an even greater depression.
What is the speaker doing in the first two stanzas and why is he doing this the raven?
he is looking at an old book. give the setting- time, month, and weather. it is late at night, in December, and it is raining outside. he is using the first two stanzas to create the mood.
Themes
In ‘The Raven,’ Poe engages themes that include death and the afterlife. These two are some of the most common themes used throughout Poe’s oeuvre. These themes are accompanied by memory, loss, and the supernatural.
Literary Devices
Poe makes use of several literary devices in ‘The Raven.’ These include but are not limited to repetition, alliteration, and caesura. The latter is a formal device, one that occurs when the poet inserts a pause, whether through meter or punctuation, into the middle of a line. For example, line three of the first stanza.
Detailed Analysis
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 some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. “’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door— Only this and nothing more.”
Similar Poetry
Readers who enjoyed ‘ The Raven’ should also consider reading some of Poe’s other best-known poems. For example:
Lines 61-66
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, "Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore – Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore Of 'Never – nevermore.'"
Lines 67-72
But the Raven still beguiling my sad 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 linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore – What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking "Nevermore."