Quotes
As You Like It.
At Venice, in the year —, in the street —, lived Pedro Garcia, a metaphysician. – With regard to date and residence, circumstances of a private and sacred nature forbid me to be more explicit. In all mental qualifications our hero was gigantic. Moreover, in bodily circumference, he had no cause of complaint; but, in right ascension, four feet five was the philosopher’s ne plus ultra
I proceeded for many paces; but still all was blackness and vacancy. I 135 breathed more freely. It seemed evident that mine was not, at least, the most hideous of fates.
Note Poe's use of words and phrases, in lines 125-136, to describe the dungeon
prison. It was some thirty or forty feet overhead, and constructed much as the side walls. In one of its panels a very singular figure riveted my whole 275 attention. It was the painted figure of Time as he is commonly represented, save that, in lieu of a scythe, he held what, at a casual glance, I supposed to be the pictured image of a huge pendulum such as we see on antique clocks. There was something, however, in the appearance of this machine which caused me to regard it more attentively. While I gazed directly 280 upward at it (for its position was immediately over my own) I fancied that I saw it in motion. In an instant afterward the fancy was confirmed. Its sweep was brief, and of course slow. I watched it for some minutes, somewhat in fear, but more in wonder. Wearied at length with observing its dull movement, I turned my eyes upon the other objects in the cell.
Explain the situation in lines 262-284
Impressions
Many investing stories. I love Edgar Allan Poe's spooky feels in his books. But as I'm not a native English speaker, the fancy and standard vocabulary was pretty difficult to understand at first, but after learning hundreds of new words that I absolutely would love to use in my english writings, this book had taught me a lot. really taught me a lot
It's a nice and short poem, worth reading.
The poem itself might come off as confusing, due to the words and descriptions that aren't commonly used in today's vocabulary, so it might require reading it a few times or seeking out external sources for explanation.
Ultimately, it's a poem about grief where the narrator gets awoken from sleeping by what sounds knocking at the front door. He opens it, calling out for a deceased woman by the name of “Lenore”, but only sees a raven which lands upon the statue of Pallas(Athena, goddess of wisdom). Initially he was amused by the bird, which can only reply with the word “nevermore”. The narrator starts asking it questions, that are rational and in composed manner but slowly starts slipping off into madness, grief and irrationality when the raven, from narrator's point of view, starts confirming and agreeing with the man's dark thoughts.
This starts happening when the bird agrees with his words that it'll leave him like everyone else in his life. Then the narrator starts asking it, will Lenore and him unite in heaven, and he interprets the ravens “nevermore” as a “no, never.”. This causes the narrator to start calling the bird “evil” and “the devil”, while spiraling into madness, consumed by the grief. The poem ends with the raven still standing on the statue while the narrator says that his soul “shall be lifted– nevermore”.
PS. English isn't my first language, and this is only my personal interpretation from someone who is trying to get into reading as a hobby. Have a good day, to anyone who read this review/analysis/interpretation.
