How do the formal properties of Poe’s poem (rhythm, meter, rhyme, alliteration, assonance, repetition) relate to the poem’s meaning? How did readers in his time understand this poem? How does "The Raven" participate in 19th-century cultures of mourning? What exactly happens in "The Raven," and how does the plot unfold? How do we chart the speaker’s transformation over the course of the poem? What are Poe’s own ideas about poetry, and how did he explain the workings of "The Raven"?

"The Raven" is a poem by American author Edgar Allan Poe. The poem was published in 1845, and became an instant sensation due to its many striking characteristics.

The poem employs rhyme in a way that provides an extremely musical tone to the work. Moreover, the language is vivid and stylized, and Poe employs imagery that creates a supernatural atmosphere. This allows the many devices employed (alliteration, assonance, repetition, etc.) to contribute to the meaning of the poem.

Moreover, "The Raven" reflects many of the common topics of the time. The death of beautiful women due to consumption is a common theme during this time period. The poem appeals both to ideas of the Romantic, as well as to the culture of mourning that developed around such deaths. In the poem, a young student receives the visit of a raven, which keeps reminding him of the recent death of his girlfriend. The poem traces the man's descent into madness. The development of the poem and the ideas that Poe had about it are explained carefully in his text "The Philosophy of Composition."

1. read the following excerpt from franklin d. roosevelt's "fireside chat 19":

on the other side of the picture, we must learn also to know that guerilla warfare against the germans in, let us say serbia or norway, us; that a successful russian offensive against the germans us; and that british successes on land or sea in any part of the world strengthen our hands.

remember always that germany and italy, regardless of any formal declaration of war, consider themselves at war with the united states at this moment just as much as they consider themselves at war with britain or russia. and germany puts all the other republics of the americas into the same category of enemies. the people of our sister republics of this hemisphere can be honored by that fact.  

the true goal we seek is far above and beyond the ugly field of battle. when we resort to force, as now we must, we are determined that this force shall be directed toward ultimate good as well as against immediate evil. we americans are not destroyers — we are builders.

analyze the effectiveness of this excerpt. how does it function within the speech as a whole? how does the structure of the excerpt to convey the speech's purpose and key points? support your argument with evidence from the speech. (10 points)