The Raven

Thanks to Edgar Allen Poe's brilliant arrangement of poetic elements, 'The Raven' remains one of the most famous poems ever written. Originally published in 1884, this enhanced edition includes classic illustrations by Gustave Doré, commentary by Edmund C. Stedman, and Poe's own 1846 essay on writing, titled 'A Philosophy of Composition.'


'The Raven' takes you on a trip through a bereaved man's slow descent into madness as he laments the loss of his love, Lenore. Sitting on a bust of Pallas, the poem is interwoven with the raven's constant repetition of the word "Nevermore." 'The Raven' leaves no doubt that "the death, then, of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world" – Poe.


Gustave Doré illustrates this luxurious edition with intricate detail that perfectly evokes the poem's tone in a series of 28 suggestive illustrations (which became his final engravings). In 'A Philosophy of Composition,' Poe elucidates his theory about how good writers write when they write well. He insists that a great poem, for a fleeting moment, produces an effect of beauty as an 'intense and pure elevation of the soul – not of intellect, or of heart'.


This exquisitely illustrated edition of 'The Raven' is a perfect compliment to your digital library.