Home
A 21st century remake of Edgar Allan Poe's 1850s classic poem,
The Raven.
Why rewrite this classic Poem?
Here's why.
Pretend that you just received two text
messages on your phone.
The First One Says.
[/device]OR
The Second One Says.
Sorry your team lost last night.
Bummer.
Chill out.
Let me buy you a cool drink.
Have a Dr. Pepper and relax.
You’ll get them next time.
[/device]The first text message you read reflects the language, tone, and classical references expected of writing in the 1850's.
The second, hopefully, comes a little closer to how people talk and write today.
What kid, or even teacher, relates to the words:
surcease, obeisance, pallid, Pallas, Night's Plutonian Shore, or quaff?
The Raven Redone allows kids to enjoy the rhythm, rhyme, and storytelling brilliance Poe used in
The Raven without getting bogged down in all the classical references, unfamiliar language patterns, and figures of speech popular in his time.
Let's compare samples of each work.
THE RAVEN
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow – sorrow for the lost Lenore
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore
Nameless here for evermore
THE RAVEN REDONE
Ah, distinctly I remember freezing cold in mid December; Crackling embers from the fire landed gently on my tile floor.
How I waited for a new day; - I thought light would bring a new way
To free my mind so I could pray -pray - to see my lost Lenore -
For the sweet, fun-loving loved one with the lovely name, Lenore -
Whose name I cannot mention anymore.
THE RAVEN
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately
Raven of the saintly days of
yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But with mien of Lord or Lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
THE RAVEN REDONE
Wildly I flung the shutter, then, I heard a deafening flutter,
When, in flew a ghastly Raven who frightened me to my core;
As I screamed, "Oh, my Lord." In an instant he soared;
And parked his ugly carcass on the shelf above my office door - Perched on my soccer trophy just above my office door
Perched, and stared, and nothing more.
THE RAVEN
"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, I'm starting - "Get thee back into the tempest and the Nights Plutonian shore! Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul has spoken! 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"
THE RAVEN REDONE
"Now that word is growing quite old. Go back to your unholy fold- Fly back into the darkness and bother my troubled soul no more. Don't leave feathers as a token of the lies that you have spoken! Leave my heart that's badly broken!-leave that perch above my door! Stop picking on me like road kill. Fly your filthy form from my door!" Squawked the Raven, "Nevermore."
Contest Rules
Before you buy this book, win it by writing a poem.
Write a short poem about
"Heather."
The poem must include at least six words that rhyme with "Heather," without repeating any of them.
Email your poem to al@alborowski.com with the Subject line - Poem.
Three lucky winners will win a copy of The Raven Redone and a copy of my soon-to-be released book,
Plagiarism Made Practical - Poems To Claim You Wrote.
Before you buy this book,
win it by writing a poem.
Contest Rules
Write a short poem about "Heather."
The poem must include at least six words that rhyme with "Heather," without repeating any of them.
Email your poem to al@alborowski.com using
Subject line - Poem.
Three lucky winners will win a copy of The Raven Redone and a copy of my soon-to-be released book,
Plagiarism Made Practical - Poems To Claim You Wrote.
Order your copy of
The Raven Redone now.
Single Copy
Simple, fast and effective flexible move
$
3.95
/ea
State tax will be added as required.
Shipping and Handling Note
The $2.00 S&H cost applies to the Continental United States. Outside the Continental US, actual shipping costs will apply.
Teacher's Special
For class size bundles, teachers automatically receive a prepared Lesson Plan for teaching this version of
The Raven Undone. After discovering the Rhythm, Rhyme, and Storytelling patterns of this updated version, teachers can then go on to reveal the genius of Poe's classical references, unfamiliar language, and figures of speech in his original The Raven.
To order class size bundles of 25, 50, or 100, please click al@alborowski.com for exact copy and shipping costs.