Sound Effects in "The Raven"

One reason that Edgar Allen Poe’s poem “The Raven” became so popular because it was pleasing to read and listen to. The sound effects and he rhythm of the poem make it very much like a song. The sound effect that stood out the most is the repeating use of the word “Nevermore”. It is the last word of many of the stanzas. The repetition really gets into the reader’s head like an echo. The word gives a feeling of sorrow and hopelessness. Another important sound effect is the rhyme of the poem. Throughout the whole poem, Poe used the same rhyme -ore. This brings an overall connection with all of the stanzas. He also had a few examples of rhymes within the lines like “But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping/ And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door”. Poe also used alliteration which” is very evident in the first stanza in phrases like “while I pondered, weak and weary” and “while I nodded, nearly napping”. Another interesting sound effect that made the poem even more life-like is the use of onomatopoeia. He used words like “rap” and “tap” to describe faint sound of knocking the door. He describes the “rusting” sounds of curtains, and “flutter” of the raven, the narrator’s “mutter”.