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Year 8 - English

Understanding 'The Raven'

Gothic poetry

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and explore two nineteenth-century gothic poems by Edgar Allen Poe. They first read and analyse 'The Raven' and 'The Haunted Palace' in isolation, before comparing them to each other and developing a personal response. Finally, they practise performing one of the poems.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain the meaning and context of the poem 'The Raven'.

Key Notes

  • Edgar Allan Poe wrote brilliant ghost stories and detective fiction.
  • The Gothic genre is a form of literature that emerged in the middle of the 18th century and is still popular today .
  • 'The Raven' was Poe's masterpiece and it likely draws on his own experiences of grief and devastation.
  • 'The Raven' is about a bereaved man who is visited by a raven who torments him into madness.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • Bleak: Bleak means to be gloomy and depressing.
  • Macabre: Macabre means to be obsessed with death.
  • Grief: Grief is a feeling of deep sadness especially after a death.
  • Melancholy: Melancholy is a long lasting feeling of sadness
  • Sinister: Sinister means hinting at danger.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Gothic only applies to external settings like buildings and the weather.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

Edgar Allan Poe wrote brilliant ghost stories and detective fiction. The Gothic genre is a form of literature that emerged in the middle of the 18th century and is still popular today .

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'Bleak'

Bleak means to be gloomy and depressing.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Gothic only applies to external settings like buildings and the weather. Correction: The Gothic is about psychological states as much as setting.

More Lessons In This Unit

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