Why does the raven use alliteration?
Many examples of alliteration may be found in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven." Alliteration is utilized throughout the poem to add rhythm to his writing and to alter the reader's perception of the atmosphere. Immediately following, the poem's narrator states that he "nodded, nearly napping." This act is an example of asyndeton, or the omission of conjunctions between sentences. The poet uses this device to give the impression of deep sleep while actually maintaining a constant state of awareness. Alliterative poetry is characterized by its use of short words with similar sounds. These words are commonly derived from one source word, which is then split into multiple parts of speech. For example, raven can be divided into two parts: roar-ven. Each part contains a vowel sound that fits together nicely to make a word. By repeating these words over and over again, the reader is given the impression of listening to a voice singing repetitive lyrics. Ravens are known for their intelligent behavior; however, it is not clear if this trait is responsible for the appearance of wisdom in the poem. It could be possible that because they are such strong singers, ravens have become associated with poets and musicians in general. Alternatively, alliteration may have been used by Poe as a way of making the poem sound more mysterious and enchanting.