In any classroom, vocabulary is a critical component for expanding student knowledge. A perfect way for students to practice vocabulary skills is to create storyboards that show the use of a word in a real-life context, or visually depicted the word's meaning. When students define a word and use it in context, they better retain it as part of their own vocabulary.
Teachers Note: There are two ways that you can use Poe’s vocabulary to teach your class. You can have students come up with an original sentence that uses the word, or they can find the word in the text, and depict what the word means.
Visually Depicted Word Meanings from “The Raven":
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Demonstrate your understanding of the vocabulary words in “The Raven" by creating visualizations.
Begin by selecting a text by Edgar Allan Poe and ask the students to generally analyze the text and express how they feel after reading the text. Students can discuss different aspects of the text such as the structure, plot direction, conflict, and resolution to get familiar with the writing style of the author.
Once the students are more familiar with the text, ask them to analyze the mood and atmosphere that can be felt by the readers while reading. For instance, after reading “The Raven”, readers can feel the mystery behind the appearance of the Raven but also sympathize with the narrator and his feelings of loss and madness. Another feeling experienced by readers is the eeriness because of the key themes.
Help the students select specific vocabulary that they find complicated or interesting. Ask the students to point out words that create the mood and atmosphere. Discuss the significance of sentence structure in controlling the atmosphere and tone of the text. Students can also experiment with vocabulary and sentence structure for their creative writing activity.
Literary elements also play a significant role in setting the tone and mood of the text. Students can highlight literary elements and identify them for instance, similes, metaphors, personification, etc. Discuss how each of these elements contributes to the overall genre of the text and how it adds to the mystery and suspense.
Encourage the students to discuss their findings in class. Invite them to discuss how Poe's linguistic decisions affect the story's overall dramatic effect and to offer their interpretations and thoughts.
Poe's linguistic choices in "The Raven" add to the dark and depressing tone of the poem. The poem's creepy and enigmatic tone is enhanced by the elaborate and antiquated vocabulary, which also contributes to its timeless quality. Students can analyze some of these complex terms and enhance their vocabulary as well as use these terms in their own writings.
The speaker's long-lost love is named "Lenore". It is a symbol of the origin of his sadness and desire. Her name appears several times in the poem, underscoring his intense sadness and unwillingness to let go of her memories. The name also means “light” which indicates that Lenore was the light of his life so now without Lenore his life is filled with grief and darkness.