The Raven

Written by Edgar Allan Poe

Narrated by Joe Hempel

“Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”

Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

 

Nevermore…Nevermore…Nevermore. Ever since Edgar Allen Poe penned those words to paper in 1845, the infamous response of the raven has continued to echo throughout history. The poem has become so familiar that we know it in our bones. From the memorable opening line—Once upon a midnight dreary—Poe paints a bleak scene that swiftly catapults us to the depths of heartbreak and grief.

 

This edition opens with commentary from the great critic Edmund C. Stedman. His insights will satisfy students, scholars, and poetry enthusiasts looking to deepen their understanding of this profound piece of literature.

 

Poe’s written masterpiece truly comes alive in this audio performance. Experience the musical quality, heart-pounding rhythm, and haunting notes as never before. Nevermore…Nevermore…Nevermore.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Spotify Audiobooks
• Release date: Jan 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9781667070650

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American poet, short story writer, and editor. Born in Boston to a family of actors, Poe was abandoned by his father in 1810 before being made an orphan with the death of his mother the following year. Raised in Richmond, Virginia by the Allan family of merchants, Poe struggled with gambling addiction and frequently fought with his foster parents over debts. He attended the University of Virginia for a year before withdrawing due to a lack of funds, enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1827. That same year, Poe anonymously published Tamerlane and Other Poems, his first collection. After failing to graduate from West Point, Poe began working for several literary journals as a critic and editor, moving from Richmond to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. In 1836, he obtained a special license to marry Virginia Clemm, his 13-year-old cousin, who moved with him as he pursued his career in publishing. In 1838, Poe published The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, a tale of a stowaway on a whaling ship and his only novel. In 1842, Virginia began showing signs of consumption, and her progressively worsening illness drove Poe into deep depression and alcohol addiction. “The Raven” (1845) appeared in the Evening Mirror on January 29th. It was an instant success, propelling Poe to the forefront of the American literary scene and earning him a reputation as a leading Romantic. Following Virginia’s death in 1847, Poe became despondent, overwhelmed with grief and burdened with insurmountable debt. Suffering from worsening mental and physical illnesses, Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore in 1849 and died only days later. He is now recognized as a literary pioneer who made important strides in developing techniques essential to horror, detective, and science fiction.