Literary Devices Activity for The Raven in Classroom - Free Printable

Let’s work through this step by step.

This is a character analysis chart for Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.” We need to fill in details about three characters: the Narrator, the Raven, and Lenore — based on what happens in the poem.

We’ll go row by row.

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1. NARRATOR

- Relationship to other characters:
He is grieving Lenore (his lost love). The raven is an unexpected visitor who talks to him. He has no known relationship with the raven before it arrives.

- Physical description:
The poem doesn’t give much physical detail, but we know he’s alone in his chamber late at night, tired, sad, and possibly disheveled from grief. He’s sitting in his chair reading old books.

- Personality description:
He’s emotional, lonely, obsessed with the past, and easily disturbed. He talks to himself and the raven, showing he’s mentally struggling.

- Active or passive?
He’s mostly passive — he reacts to things (like the tapping, the raven’s words) rather than driving the action. He doesn’t leave his room or try to solve anything; he just listens and gets more upset.

- Evidence:
Lines like “Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling…” show he’s reacting. Also, “And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor” shows he’s lost in thought, not acting.

→ So for Narrator: Passive ✔

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2. RAVEN

- Relationship to other characters:
It’s a mysterious bird that enters the narrator’s room. It doesn’t know the narrator or Lenore — it’s just a bird… or maybe something more symbolic.

- Physical description:
Black (“ebony”), perched on a bust of Pallas (goddess of wisdom), with a stern look. It doesn’t move much after entering.

- Personality description:
Calm, mysterious, unemotional. It only says one word: “Nevermore.” It doesn’t react to the narrator’s emotions — it just repeats itself.

- Active or passive?
This is tricky. The raven *does* enter the room and speak — so it’s technically active. But it doesn’t change its behavior or respond to the narrator’s questions — so it’s also kind of passive. In literature, we usually call it active because it initiates the main event (the conversation) and drives the narrator’s descent into madness.

- Evidence:
“Quoth the Raven, ‘Nevermore.’” — it speaks without being asked. It stays even when the narrator begs it to leave. That’s active behavior.

→ So for Raven: Active ✔

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3. LENORE

- Relationship to other characters:
She’s the narrator’s lost love. She’s dead. She never appears in the poem — only mentioned.

- Physical description:
None given. We only know she was beautiful and loved by the narrator.

- Personality description:
Unknown — she’s not alive in the poem. But from the narrator’s memories, she was gentle, kind, and cherished.

- Active or passive?
Definitely passive — she’s dead and doesn’t do anything. She’s only talked about.

- Evidence:
“For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore — Nameless here for evermore.” She’s gone, mentioned only in memory.

→ So for Lenore: Passive ✔

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Final Answer:

NARRATOR: Passive
RAVEN: Active
LENORE: Passive