Themes, symbols, and motifs are valuable aspects of any literary work, and they add richness to stories. Part of the Common Core ELA standards is to introduce and explain these complex concepts. However, abstract ideas are often difficult for students to analyze without assistance. Using a storyboard, students can visually demonstrate their understanding of these concepts, and master analysis of literary elements. For best practices, see our supplementary article with specific lesson plan steps on setting up your classroom and activities to teach themes, symbols, and motifs.
In the classroom, students can track the rich symbolism that Poe uses throughout "The Raven".
Typically ravens represent bad luck, and even death. In Greek mythology, ravens are seen as messengers. Perhaps this is why the speaker believes that it has come with a message from Lenore.
This refers to Athena, the goddess of wisdom and enlightenment. The statue shows that the narrator is a scholar. Hence his pondering of old texts.
The name is possibly related to "Eleanor" or "Helen", deriving from the Greek for "light". This would imply she was the light of the narrator's life, and without her, there is darkness.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes or symbols in "The Raven". Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Pick poems that deal with similar topics to "The Raven," such as loss, sadness, hopelessness, or paranormal aspects. Students can choose from other authors or from Poe’s own collection. Allow the students to do their own research and pick their own poems for comparison. Ask the students to analyze their chosen poem and try to look for similarities and differences.
Encourage the students to examine the poems' respective structures and styles. Think about things like meter, rhyme system, length of stanza, and punctuation. What effect do these decisions have on how the topics are presented? Besides themes, what other elements are similar in the poems?
Ask the students to graphically arrange the similarities and contrasts between the two poems using a Venn diagram or T-chart. Mark "Differences" on one side and "Similarities" on the other. Since the poems have similar themes, students can note them down as a similarity and look for some differences.
Ask the students to consider how each poem has had an impact on them personally. How did they relate to the ideas on an intellectual or emotional level? Students can also share why they selected a specific poem for comparison and talk about similarities and differences on an emotional level such as how each poem changes the feelings of the readers.
Ask the students to share their analysis with the rest of the class. The class can then discuss each analysis turn by turn. Students can share their own perspectives on different poems and discuss the themes and poem styles in general. The discussion will induce a collaborative and healthy learning environment.
Key topics found in "The Raven" include the narrator’s sadness at his dear lover Lenore's passing, his hopelessness which is enhanced by his conversation with himself and the Raven, and the madness he experiences because of a major loss that forces him to make conversation with the Raven.
The poem also addresses the motif of madness. The way the narrator interacts with the raven, how desperate he gets, and how hopeless he ends up feeling all point to a psychological issue. This theme of madness and psychological issues is a common topic that can be seen in Poe’s work.
The idea that grief is inevitable is furthered by the word "Nevermore" being played over and over. It implies that the storyteller's sorrow is eternal and that he will never be able to escape this state of mind.