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The Many Meanings of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven"

In this essay on Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven," the student explores the various functions of the raven, both as symbol to convey theme and as object of plot and scene that places the poem in a liminal place.
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This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

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This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

More essays like this:

torture
Not sure what I'd do without @Kibin
- Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University
Exactly what I needed.
- Jenna Kraig, student @ UCLA
Wow. Most helpful essay resource ever!
- Chris Stochs, student @ UC Berkeley

View other essays like this one:

Bridget's feedback:

"Your title does a good job forecasting the various ways you'll explore the raven as a symbol; I recommend using this as a cue to build out the opening paragraph and revise the thesis, which currently only refers to torture as the meaning of the raven. For a more specific thesis, use a reverse outline to form a list of each meaning you ascribe to the raven, then think about how to include these in the thesis so the reader is ready for the shape of the discussion. This might entail naming each thing the raven represents, or you might notice an umbrella concept--for example, self-inflicted torture--that can become the motif across the essay; in the case of the latter, you will need to use signposting and other language to make sure you are "checking in" with the thesis over the body paragraphs so your reader understands the connections.

The discussion overall moves in a clear and logical manner, but following the poem beat by beat makes for a stretched out essay that doesn't always illuminate the details of the poem. In your next draft, bring the analysis forward by eliminating redundant description (e.g., when a quote and your commentary doubles up on explaining what is happening). An example of this is the discussion of December; consider this revision: "The narrator's remark that it is 'bleak December,' a time when most plants are dead, extends the dismal scene to both inside and outside the chamber." I'd even suggest trimming reference to plants, relying on the reader's understanding of what winter and December often present as, and keeping the analysis itself moving."

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