Romanticism & Gothic Elements
Unlike "Light" Romanticism—which appreciates beauty and mystery—Dark Romanticism often explores these two dark concepts.
What are evil and darkness?
Edgar Allan Poe earned this famous literary nickname.
What is the Master of the American Gothic?
In this story, the narrator plots to kill this character.
Who is the old man?
This title creature visits the speaker in the poem.
What is a raven?
In exchange for his soul, the Devil offers Tom Walker this.
What is wealth?
Between a sunny beach, a busy store, and a haunted mansion, this setting best fits Gothic literature.
What is a haunted mansion?
When Poe was very young, his mother died of this disease.
What is tuberculosis?
After committing the murder, the narrator hides the body in this spot.
What is under the floorboards?
Throughout the poem, the raven repeatedly speaks this single word.
What is "Nevermore"?
This character serves as the Gothic stock character in the story.
Who is the Devil?
Authors often use these specific weather details to help create a classic Gothic mood.
What are dark clouds and wind?
In 1849, Poe returned to this city, where he became very ill and died.
What is Baltimore?
This internal mental trait is what truly makes the narrator a Gothic character.
What is his growing madness?
Lenore plays this role in the speaker's life.
Who is the speaker’s lost love?
At the very end of the story, this fate befalls Tom Walker.
What is the Devil comes for him?
Along with Gothic settings, this supernatural entity is a classic Gothic stock character.
What is a ghost?
Poe's works share this specific Gothic feature with Washington Irving's "The Devil and Tom Walker"
What is fear or dark feelings?
Before the murder takes place, the narrator builds suspense by doing this.
What is watching at night?
The visitor seems supernatural specifically because it performs this action.
What is answering the speaker?
These two adjectives describe the forest setting, making it distinctly Gothic.
What are dark and mysterious?
Romanticism frequently focuses on these internal feelings, while Gothic literature relies on this type of concealed plot element.
What are human emotions and a hidden secret?
Poe's writing falls under this subgenre of Romanticism, contrasting with "Light" Romanticism's focus on beauty and mystery.
What is Dark Romanticism?
The narrator finally confesses to the police because he believes he hears this sound.
What is a heartbeat?
The poem's dark mood is established by the speaker doing this at night.
What is mourning Lenore?
While this story takes place in a forest rather than a haunted mansion, it still connects to "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart" through this shared Gothic element.
What is fear or dark feelings?