Wednesday, April 25, 2007

The Raven

Poe, Edgar, Allen. The Raven. Illustrated by Ryan Price. Kids Can Press: 2006. ISBN: 1553374738. Ages 12 and up.

The classic poem The Raven tells a very deep and dark story of a man's "descent into madness." It touches on the narrator's guilt for his wife's death and expresses a mixture of feelings in the reader. Edgar Allen Poe's poem is harder to comprehend for younger children. It includes numerous hidden meanings, as well as a lot of symbolism. He also uses repetition, alliteration, and rhyme to make his poems even more likable. Illustrator Ryan Price catches the meaning of the of the poem exactly, and his drypoint printmaking drawings compliment the poem along with showing a darkening effect. His drawings help explain the story within the poem. This book is without a doubt more reasonable for young adults to read rather than young children, as most wouldn't comprehend the whole meaning and significance of The Raven.

Reviewed by R. B., 8th grade, Van Buren Middle School

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