In "The Philosophy of Composition," Edgar Allan Poe describes a credible set of short, simple guidelines for the structure of a great literary work. These procedures may seem trivial and unnecessary to experienced writers. On the other hand, amateur writers who are having difficulty starting or developing their work might find Poe's strategy legitimate and very useful. The poem "The Raven" is proof that these guidelines are effective when used to begin and develop a literary work. The effectiveness of some of these procedures, such as the development of a denouement, the length of a work, and the theme of a work, is evident in Poe's "The Raven." Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay First, Poe's “Composition” suggests that “nothing is clearer than the fact that every plot, worthy of this name, must be worked out until its conclusion. before anything, be tempted to write" (1). In this statement, Poe suggests that the writer should first develop the denouement, or resolution of the climax, before developing any other part of the work. Poe validates this assertion by asserting that "It is only by constantly keeping in mind the outcome that we can give to a plot its indispensable air of consequence, or causality, by ensuring that the incidents, and especially the tone in all points, tend towards the opposite development of the intention” (Composition 1, Poe explains that once the conclusion is formed, it constitutes the central point to which the causality, the incidents and the point refer). tone. For some writers, this "equation" can help them in the process of composing a work. Poe's "equation" is very simple and precise in the sense that it allows the writer to reconstruct his work. step by step, successfully creating a complete literary work. Furthermore, Poe explains the creation of "The Raven's" denouement with the following statement: Here, then, the poem may be said to have its beginning—at the end, where all works of art should begin; for it is here, at this point in my preconsiderations, that I took up the pen for the first time in the composition of the stanza: “Prophet, I say, thing of evil! Prophet again, whether bird or devil! By this the sky which bends above us, by this God whom we both adore, Tell this soul loaded with sorrow if, in the distance Aidenn, It will hug a holy maiden that the angels call Lenore, Will hug a rare and radiant young girl whom the angels name Lenore. "Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore." (Composition 9-10) In this statement, Poe explains that this verse is the first stanza he puts on paper and that this verse will be the denouement of the poem he develops. All the stanzas placed before and after this original stanza refer to the denouement Poe's successful development of "The Raven" verifies that first establishing the denouement and then building from it can be useful for struggling writers. to begin their own literary works. Second, Poe recommends in "Composition" that "It seems evident, then, that there is a distinct limit, as regards length, to all works of literary art: the limit. of a single session” (4). In this statement, Poe suggests that a writer should plan in advance how long he or she wants the work to last, preferably a length that allows it to be read in one sitting. It is obvious that Poe followed this rule in most of his works. His short stories, such as "The Cask of Amontillado" and "The Fall of the House of Usher", as well as his poems, suchthat "Annabel Lee" and "A Dream Within a Dream" are all short enough to read all at once. Poe believes: "[...] that brevity must be in direct relation to the intensity of the effect sought: --- that, with one condition, that a certain degree of duration is absolutely required for production from all effect to all" (Composition 4). In this statement, Poe explains that a short work will produce the intended effect, and that a longer work may result in the loss of the intended effect. Most readers have a lot It is difficult, once they have interrupted their reading, to continue where they left off, sometimes being obliged to reread certain parts of the story to return to it. Many of Poe's works are brief, but they still maintain the reader's interest Additionally, Poe discusses how he kept "The Raven" short with two different methods: length and pacing. in "Composition" that even before "The Raven" was composed, "[...]I immediately reached what I had conceived as the appropriate length for my intended poem, a length of about one hundred verses » (4). . Poe narrowly missed his mark, ending “The Raven” at one hundred and eight lines. Second, Poe explains that he planned "The Raven" to contain trochaic feet, "[...] the feet used throughout (trochees) consist of a long syllable followed by a short [...]" (Composition 11). This continuous pattern of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable creates an optimistic or anxious rhythm in which one should read The Raven,” as in the lines “Eagerly, I wished for tomorrow; --- in vain I had sought to borrow / From my books a reprieve from sorrow --- sorrow for Lenore lost" (Poe 36). This anxious rhythm not only follows the narrator's anxious state, but also accelerates the process reading for Poe's audience For a writer struggling to determine the length and tempo of his work, "The Raven" is one of several fine yet concise works of Poe that has a predetermined length. and an optimistic tempo, as well as an effect that is not "cut short" to say the least, Poe mentions in "Composition" that to write a great depressing work, one must use Poe's best melancholic theme. states: “Now never lose sight of the object, the supremacy or perfection, in all points I asked myself: “Of all melancholic subjects, which is, according to the universal understanding of humanity, the most. melancholic? “Death” was the obvious answer” (Composition 8). Many of Poe's short stories and poems have a dark theme, and many of them usually involve some aspect of death. Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher," for example, is a short story about a brother who unknowingly buries his sister alive and only discovers what he has done when she returns for revenge and kills them all. two. Another example of Poe's use of death as his most melancholic theme is the poem "Annabel". Lee." In this poem, the narrators speak of his late love, Annabel Lee, who was taken from him by envious angels, although he still sleeps next to her body every night in her sepulcher by the sea. These examples, along with many other works by Poe, strongly support Poe's belief that death is the best theme in a work. Additionally, "The Raven" is a typical example of another melancholy-oriented work of Poe. about death. The poem begins with a man sitting alone in a dark room and mourning the death of his love, Lenore “I longed for the morrow; --- in vain I had sought to borrow / From my books a reprieve of sorrow --- sorrow for lost Lenore ---" (Poe Raven 36). The raven enters the tale and soon., 1986. 1-15.