How far fulfills Edgar Allan Poe his own requirements from The
Philosophy of Composition in his poem The Raven?
Comparison of his
two works
The Philosophy of Composition and The Raven.
Contents
Introduction 2
1. Edgar Allan Poe 3
The
Raven 4
2. Formal aspects 4
3. Content 5
The Philosophy of Composition 6
4. Content 6
Comparison between The Raven and The Philosophy of Composition 9
Conclusion 12
References 13
5. Primary literature 13
Introduction
Till this day Edgar
Poe is known as an author of black short stories and an ancestor of detective
fiction. His lyric on the other hand is clearly less reminded.
Actually his
lyrical work is also by his contemporaries disposed as ‘three fifths brilliant
and two fifths nonsense’
and Poe as a ‘jingle-man’.
Although that everyone respects his ability to create fabulous melodies in
words.
These evaluations
are in stark contrast to Poes self-image. For him he was a poet and his short
stories just a breadwinning.
To confirm his
entitlement as a groundbreaking poet, Poe writes three theoretic Essays. With The
Rationale of Verse (1843), The Philosophy of Composition (1846) and The
Poetic Principle (1850) he tries to define his special admission to the
lyric.
These works,
particularly his justification of his ideal The Raven in The
Philosophy of Composition should give an analytic frame in order to search
for Poes own requirements in his lyric.
This analysis
makes sense on the basis of his greatest poem The Raven because Poe also
often refers to it. Except from that The Raven still has the biggest
literary importance. The outstanding history of effect is supported by tree
film versions (1909, 1915 and 1963) and about 13 German translations. First
there are a short summery of Edgar Allan Poes life.
At the beginning
this analysis tells the content of The Raven and some first formal
aspects. After that the main theses of The Philosophy of Composition are
demonstrated. At the end I want to prove or rebut the single principles at/on/from/by
The Raven.
1. Edgar
Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe is
born on the 19th of January 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. When he
was two years old he became a complete orphan. From now on he lived with a foster family
in Richmond, Virginia. Even when he later assumes the name of his foster
parents, they never adopt him. Poe attends a private school and was educated to
become a gentleman. 1826 he starts studying old and new language in Virginia.
After the death of
his foster mother in 1829 it amount to a quarrel between Poe and his foster
father John Allan. For financial reasons Poe joined the army, but in 1831 he
was dismissed because of ‘rebelliousness’.
After that Poe
works as a free writer, journalist and deskman but he lived in narrow
circumstances. 1836 Poe married his thirteen years old cousin Virgina Clemm,
but already eleven years later she died. On the 07th of October 1849
Poe died too. The situation and reasons are cloudy.
The Raven
The poem The Raven
was published parallel in a few magazines in 1845, one of them was Grahams
Magazine.
2. Formal
aspects
The Poem has 18
stanzas each with six verses. A continuous rhyme scheme is not visible
certainly every fourth and every fifth verse ends with the same word which
rhymes with the last word of the six verses. For Example in the sixth stanza:
‘Let me see,
then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore –
Let my heart be
still a moment and this mystery explore; -
‘T is the wind and
nothing more!’
Another stylistic
device is the usage of internal rhyme for example in stanza five:
‘But the silence
was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, / And the only
word there spoken was the whispered word, “Leonore?” ‘
In stanza one, for
example, you can find one of the repetitions. ‘While I nodded nearly napping,
suddenly there came a tapping, / As of some one gently rapping, rapping
at my chamber door. / “’T some visitor, “I muttered, “tapping at my
chamber door - ’
The often
repetitions and parallelism underlines the content and the expression of the
poem. The lyrical I seem to be a man often depicted as an academic. Not only
the paintings by Gustav Doré
are a reason for it, also that the losing of the beloved should be forgotten
over the studying of some old books.
3. Content
That’s the
beginning of the Poem. The lyrical I tries, while studying ‘of forgotten lore’ to block out the dead of the
beloved all in vain. He hopes that she is in heaven now. When it knocked on
door, the lyrical I first do not dare to open. And when he opens the door,
there is just darkness. He whispers the name of his beloved but the only answer
is the return.
Inasmuch he heard
another knocking, he supposed that it is the wind at the window grate. As he
opened the window a raven flight into the room and sits down on the ‘bust of
Pallas’ .
The lyrical I asks
the raven after his name whereupon the raven answered ‘Nevermore’ which the lyrical I surprised. The Raven
also negates with a ‘Nevermore’ when the lyrical I regrets that the
raven also want to leave tomorrow. Over these pretended fitting answer the
lyrical I is amazed. But he starts directly to explain it in a rational way and
developed some ‘theories’ and ‘fantasies’
about the meaning of the raven and his repeated word. The thoughts of the
lyrical I digress to Leonore, his beloved, again and he asks the raven ‘if
there is balm in Gilead’ but the raven just repeats his answer ‘Nevermore’.
Thereupon the
lyrical I wants to have sureness and asks explicit if he will see Leonore in
heaven again but the raven negates with his common answer. The reaction of the
lyrical I is very aggressive, he wants that the raven takes his ‘form from off
my door!’
However the raven declines with his periodic sentence ‘Nevermore’.
In the last stanza
the raven still is sitting on the bust, but the lyrical I lays deathlike on the
ground and his ‚soul […] [s]hall be lifted – nevermore!‘.
The Philosophy of
Composition
The Philosophy
of Composition is an Essay
by Edgar Allan Poes about his aspired ideal of a poem. The essay was published
in 1846 in Grahams Magazine and describes Poes work process at his as an act of
bravery constructed poem The Raven.
Beside The
Philosophy of Composition Poe writes two other relevance lyriktheories: The
Rationale of Verse (1843) and The Poetic Principle (1850).
The importance of
the unity of effect and the beauty is also represented in The Philosophy of
Composition and plays also a central role in The Poetic Principle .
There are six
basic principles to carve out from The Philosophy of Composition which
should be compared with Poes poem The Raven: length of the poem, theme,
limitation of space, formal arrangements especially in reference to the refrain
and the unity of effect.
4. Content
‘most writers -
poets in especial - prefer having it understood that they compose by a species
of fine phrensy - an ecstatic intuition – and would positively shudder at
letting the public take a peep behind the scenes’
Poe examines
mainly the genius cult of the poet, his God-given inspiration and the hazard of
composition. Of his point of view it was the hegemonic opinion of poetry and
poets by the time. The essay explains that experienced knowledge of principles
and hard work are the only important requirements for a good poet and at the
bottom line also for an ideal poem.
Poe also asserts
that the ideal poem is not dependent on inspiration and ‘Selbstüberschreitung’.
As the ideal Poe
shows the ‚Technizismus’ at which he uses his poem The Raven as an ‚exemplarische
Vorführung handwerklicher Produktion und Entfernung von der schöpferischen
Imagination’.
The complete essay
is construed on the production, conservation and clarification of the, by Poe
demanded ‘unity of effect’.
As effect Poe identified the impression to the reader and whose soul. He wants
to cause one ‘[o]f the innumerable effects, or impressions, of which the heart,
the intellect, or (more generally) the soul is susceptible’.
At the beginning
of the essay Poe claimed that a poem has to be written from the end or the
climax to the start for guarantee the requested effect.
Moreover the
method is for Poe the only instrument to bring the effect.
A further
important criterion is the length of a poem. Poe thinks that the ideal poem is
long enough for bringing the effect. However Poe warns for a too long poem
because ‘if any literary work is too long to be read at one sitting, we must be
content to dispense with the immensely important effect derivable from unity of
impression’.
,[T]he proper
length for my intended poem – [is] a length of about one hundred lines.’
Next Poe declares
that the losing of a beauty is a predestined theme of a poem and specifically
melancholic.
During the sequel
he even asserts that ‘the death, then, of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably,
the most poetical topic in the world.
The melancholic
aspect is very important for Poe in that the melancholia it is the only poetic
accent he accepts.
Poe also has an
accurate image of the refrain. The refrain has to be short, best only one word
and the end of every stanza.
Both the form and
demonstration of monotony and a varied potential for design should be given in
a refrain.
In search of an
adequate word that in addition has the ideal formation of a long ‘o’ and an ‘r’
’it would have been absolutely impossible to overlook the word "Nevermore."
In fact, it was the very first which presented itself‘.
During the further
progress Poe enlarge on The Raven und whose originations process to deduce
criterions for the ideal poem. So Poe called the motivation of the lyrical I
for, the on the answer nevermore aimed question, as ’half in
superstition and half in that species of despair which delights in
self-torture‘.
For Poe both are important motifs for a lyrical I.
Poe charged by his
rhetorical devices and his measure and other formsprachlichen aspects
originality.
Besides that Poe
sees repetitions and monotony as an essential part of a poem. Similar
expectations Poe has of the ’principles of rhyme‘ and
rhetorical devices as alliterations.
The originality of
measure Poe expects as follows: ‘The former is trochaic - the latter is
octameter acatalectic, alternating with heptameter catalectic repeated in the
refrain of the fifth verse, and terminating with tetrameter catalectic. Less
pedantically - 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 - the second of seven and a half (in effect two-thirds) - the
third of eight - the fourth of seven and a half - the fifth the same - the
sixth, three and a half.‘
As another
essential stylistic device ‘it has always appeared to me that
a close circumscription of space is absolutely necessary to the effect of
insulated incident: it has the force of a frame to a picture‘ (Philosophy S.32) Poe explained.
Closing
Poe presents two indispensable characteristics of his lyric: ‘first, some amount of complexity, or, more
properly, adaptation; and, secondly, some amount of suggestiveness - some
under-current, however indefinite, of meaning‘.
(S.35/36). Both the melancholic and masochistic character Poe concentrate
proper as ’luxury of sorrow‘.
Comparison between The
Raven and The Philosophy of Composition
At first this analysis
tries to find out, if Poe achieves his own requirements from The Philosophy
of Composition in his poem The Raven. After that I want to assess if
Poes primary goal, namely the conservation of the unity of effect is gained.
In the way I see
it the length of The Raven consistent Poes criterions. The keynote of The Raven
is clear illustrated and brought to an end. Anyway it is possible to read the
poem ‘at one
sitting‘ and the target effect
persists.
As
a positively predestined theme of a poem Poe sees the damage of a loved beauty.
Because
The Raven processed the lyrical I losses of his beloved Leonore this
principle shall be deemed as fulfilled. Also her elegancy which is an important
topic for Poe is mentioned. In the 16. stanza Leonore is named an angel and even in the second
stanza the lyrical I talks ’from ,the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels
name Lenore‘.
Also
the limitation of space is adhered in The Raven. Indeed the lyrical I tries
to escape the limited space in its room at the time when it ’opened wide the
door‘. But already in the fifth
stanza it is pushed back by the echo Leonore and in the sixth stanza ’back
into the chamber turning, all my soul / within me burning‘
Poe
gives a very clear description of the formal arrangement in the poem especially
the one in the refrain. This analysis starts regarding the whole poem and than
having a closer look on the refrain.
The
raven offers a lot of repetitions which Poe asks for. For example the word
‘chamber’ is discovered eleven
times. This repetition also backed the before handled limitation of space.
Also
the fact that the last word of the fourth and the fifth verse is always the
same caused a repetition and underlines the required monotony. You can see this
for example in stanza two: ‘From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the
lost Lenore / For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore‘.
Apart
from that Poe requests some alliterations, for example ‘nodded, nearly napping‘ or ‘grim, ungainly,
ghastly, gaunt‘. This criterion could
also be applied as fulfil. Now this analysis should take a closer look to the
refrain which is always the last word of a stanza.
Because
Poe already in The Philosophy of Composition sees nevermore as
the ideal refrain it is no wonder that from stanza eight till the end (stanza
eighteen) the refrain is ‘nevermore’ altogether eleven times.
However
Poe asks for the varied potential of a refrain so in the second stanza the
refrain is ‘evermore‘. The following stanzas
tree to seven and the first one has the refrain ‘nothing more‘.
In
addition to the ideal formation of the letters o and r there is
also the melancholically sound of the refrain. The Raven has a melancholic tone
caused of the rived vowel o and u and the melancholic diction for
example in the first stanza ‘curious volume of forgotten lore‘ also the name of the
beloved Leonore offers this attributes.
Even
the main theme namely, if the lyrical I would ever see his beloved again even if she is in heave and if the lyrical I
could leave the earthly pain behind are typical melancholic
topoi.
An
other aspect of the melancholy is the pleasure of self-torture. This
masochistic aspect is very present in stanza 15 and 16 in The Raven when
the lyrical I couched his questions in that way that the ravens answer
‘nevermor’ fits and the lyrical Is
hope negates. After the single principles of Poe are proved at his poem The
Raven, this analysis contemplates Poe prime goal, the unity of effect
and the effect of beauty.
The
effect of the death-in-life could be applied as intended, because the reader until
the end knows which meaning the raven has for the lyrical I. The raven has the
position of the ‘alter ego’ and reflects the
subconscious of the lyrical I.
The
effect of beauty is defined as a result of the unity of effect and so it appeared.
It is, as it is often in Poes work, a dark and dreary beauty maybe even a
disturbing. An other characteristic is that the reader first understands a lot
of metaphors, references and hints when he knows the end.
Probably
this is a hint that the author first writes the end and thinks about the effect
and than take a look at the beginning and possible reasons for it. Consequently
Poe complies his call for a construction of a poem from the end to the
beginning. Because we
could come from that the reader starts with the beginning and so first sees the
reasons before he find out about the consequences, he is first disoriented.
This manipulation of the reader is a volitional part of the effect, assert Poe:
It is both goal and requirement of the effect.
Conclusion
After having a closer look to
Poes requirements to the ideal poem from The Philosophy of Composition
and his most popular poem The Raven I want to answer the main question
of this analysis. How far
fulfil Edgar Allan Poe his own requirements from The Philosophy of
Composition in his poem The Raven?
At first you can
say that Poe fulfil all of his principles and also the very subjective unity
of effect is provable. In that you can answer the question clearly with
squarely fulfilled.
But in the Philosophy
of Composition it is very demonstrative that The Raven is the model
for Poes principles. For example when Poe talks about the length: ‘[T]he proper
length for my intended poem – [is] a length of about one hundred lines. It is,
in fact, a hundred and eight.’
Also the claim
that the lost of a loved and beauty woman is the only real poetic theme is
literarily not provable. Many critics say that this theme is caused of a
biographic and psychological aspect, because Poe lost all loved women in his
life.
All in all you can
say that the The Raven did not fulfil the requirements from The
Philosophy of Composition, but The Philosophy of Composition
illustrated the different instruments which Poe used in The Raven. Insofar
the Essay did not obtain the poem but, the in the poem expressed ‘collapse of
rationalization’
obtained the Essay. And even if The Philosophy of Composition is no
general theory of lyric, the success of The Raven proves him right..
References
5. Primary
literature
Poe, Edgar Allan: The Philosophy of Composition. New York City, 1907.
Poe, Edgar Allan: The Raven.