The Raven & Lenore Nevermore

It is almost time for Halloween. 

We decided to get started on Freckle's costume this year. Our minds started swirling around with idea's. She wanted to be a character from a book or a story... Knowing she likes poetry/Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven". I suggested "Lenore Nevermore". That was it.... We went out to a couple thrift shops, found a gown, a white wig, and a black top hat. We then went to the craft store to get embellishments for the hat. She chose a Raven of course, a black rose, doodads and feathers. We also found some black lace finger~less gloves. It was all coming together.

We decorated the little top hat...And did a test run on her makeup, hair and costume. We also found some fake black feather like eyelashes, but we will wait to put them on for Halloween. We were quite pleased. It was just what we envisioned. It sort of has a little bit of a steam punk feel to it as well. 

I think she looks beautiful.

So, of course since we are home schoolers, 

we will be doing a little study on our dear 

Edgar Allan Poe as our Poet of the month... 

~Click here to read The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe~

Here is a little synopsis of The Raven:

"The Raven" follows an unnamed narrator on a night in December who sits reading "forgotten lore" as a way to forget the loss of his love, Lenore. A "rapping at [his] chamber door"  reveals nothing, but excites his soul to "burning".  A similar rapping, slightly louder, is heard at his window. When he goes to investigate, a raven steps into his chamber. Paying no attention to the man, the raven perches on a bust of Pallas above the door.

Amused by the raven's comically serious disposition, the man asks that the bird tell him its name. The raven's only answer is "Nevermore". The narrator is surprised that the raven can talk, though at this point it has said nothing further. The narrator remarks to himself that his "friend" the raven will soon fly out of his life, just as "other friends have flown before" along with his previous hopes. As if answering, the raven responds again with "Nevermore". The narrator reasons that the bird learned the word "Nevermore" from some "unhappy master" and that it is the only word it knows.

Even so, the narrator pulls his chair directly in front of the raven, determined to learn more about it. He thinks for a moment in silence, and his mind wanders back to his lost Lenore. He thinks the air grows denser and feels the presence of angels, and wonders if God is sending him a sign that he is to forget Lenore. The bird again replies in the negative, suggesting that he can never be free of his memories. The narrator becomes angry, calling the raven a "thing of evil" and a prophet.Finally, he asks the raven whether he will be reunited with Lenore in Heaven. When the raven responds with its typical "Nevermore", he is enraged, and, calling it a liar, commands the bird to return to the "Plutonian shore", but it does not move. Presumably at the time of the poem's recitation by the narrator, the raven "still is sitting on the bust of Pallas. The narrator's final admission is that his soul is trapped beneath the raven's shadow and shall be lifted "Nevermore".