The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, first published on 29 January 1845, is one of the most well-known and influential poems in literature.
Poe’s exploration of the human mind, particularly its darker aspects, resonated with both readers and critics. The poem explores themes of grief and loss as it tells of a raven’s appearance and repeated utterance of the word “Nevermore” which drives the author to madness.
The Raven was an instant success. Its popularity grew, and it became one of Poe’s most famous works. It has been translated into many languages and adapted into plays, films, operas, songs, and comics. Today The Raven is considered a classic and is studied in schools and universities. This popularity, of course, has led to countless readings, retellings, parodies and tall tales. Here is a small sample for you to enjoy.
Gustave Doré was one of the busiest, most in-demand artists of the 19th century. He made his name illustrating works by authors such as Rabelais, Balzac, Milton and Dante. Just before his death in 1883, he produced 26 steel engravings for an illustrated edition of The Raven. Have a look at these amazing illustrations here.
In 1875 poet, Stéphane Mallarmé, translated The Raven into French. Mallarmé’s friend, Édouard Manet (who later became a famous painter) created illustrations. Sadly, the New York Public Library reports, “the publication was not a commercial success.” Read The Raven here in a dual language edition, with all the original illustrations.
The Raven: a Pop-up Book, was created by illustrator Christopher Wormell and paper engineer David Pelham. They adapted Poe’s work into this unexpected format. Sadly it appears to be out of print, but you can see it in this video.
Soon after The Raven was published it proved to be imitable. People began using its form and scenario for their own ends – comic, satiric, or serious. The website, Quaint and Curious has collated an impressive list of parodies and pistaches of The Raven from the 19th century. Read them here, and enjoy.
Actor Vincent Price (who died back in 1993) proved his versatility throughout his long career, but history has remembered him first and foremost for his work in the horror genre, no doubt thanks in large part due to his voice which is perfectly suited to the elegantly sinister. Enjoy his rendition of the poem (poor picture quality, but oh, his voice!):
With an authoritative voice and calm demeanor, multi award-winning actor, Morgan Freeman reads a haunting version of the poem:
Iconic horror actor Christopher Lee, who passed away in 2015, played Dracula, Saruman, and Count Dooku among other roles and was famous for his deep and theatrical voice. In this video, enjoy his reading of Poe’s classic poem.
In 1909 director D.W. Griffith and cinematographer Billy Bitzer released a seven-minute silent short film named Edgar Allan Poe. It depicts Poe composing The Raven even as his wife lies dying of tuberculosis. In real life, the young Virginia Eliza Poe passed away two years after the poem’s publication, but D.W. Griffith, like a true craftsman of his medium, knew the potential for extra drama when he saw it.
Do you remember the 1960’s TV series The Addams Family? It’s fitting that the head of this unique family would have a lifelong obsession with Edgar Allan Poe. John Astin was the first actor to bring the fictional character Gomez Addams to life.
In this video, humorist Jordan Monsell has created a solo, but vocally collaborative reading of The Raven in 100 different celebrity, and mostly human, voices.
In 1990, The Simpsons adapted The Raven. Read by James Earl Jones, the poem remains more or less intact, with Homer Simpson as the narrator. Marge makes an appearance as the long departed Lenore, with hair so tall it needs an extra canvas to contain it in a portrait. Maggie and Lisa are the seraphim and Bart, of course, is the annoying raven that drives Homer insane. Enjoy this treasure:
British Rock Band, The Alan Parsons Project recorded a rock version of The Raven in 1976 as a tribute to the author. It is an almost verbatim recital of the lyrics of the poem and is credited to be the first rock song to feature a digital vocoder to distort vocals.
Visual interpretations of the poem abound …
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