“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 someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.” – Edgar Allan Poe.
Poe’s The Raven has been taken apart and analyzed, looked at from every direction. It is an allegory, describing beautifully Poe’s state of mind. It’s also just a wonderful work of art, the words chosen to send shivers up the reader’s spine.
Words create a feeling, painting a mental picture. For that reason, they must be used carefully. Whether written or spoken, words are tools for the writer or speaker. With them, she builds what she hopes others will see. When you read The Raven, how does it make you feel?
Shivery!
Yes, Poe was a master of the shivers—not the cozy kind, though.