The Raven
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
''Tis some visitor,' I muttered, 'tapping at my chamber door-
Only this, and nothing more.'

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;- vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
''Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-
This it is, and nothing more.'

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
'Sir,' said I, 'or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you'- here I opened wide the door;-
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Stanzas 1-4

The poem “The Raven” contains many different rhyming patterns. The first one that stood out to me was the ending word’s rhyming pattern, ABCBBB, DBFBBB, GBHBBB, IBCBBB. Also the midpoint word of the first and third line of every stanza rhymes with the last word in the same line. Each last line of every stanza has seven syllables and ends in “more.” An example of a consonance in “The Raven” is “nearly napping.” There is also assonance in this poem, “entreating entrance.” Alliteration also shows up in this poem, “silken sad.” The first stanza is saying that on one late dreary night the author was reading old, unusual books. He was dozing off and about to fall asleep when he heard