Question

The raven by Edgar Allan Poe , what is the speaker doing when he hears a knock the door

Answer 1

he was "pondering weak and weary over may quaint and curious volumes of forgotten lore". meaning he thinking while was reading. i hope this helped

Answer 2

The first few lines of the poem are:

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door."

The author tells us that he was "pondering" over "many a quaint and curious volume" of forgotten lore. His "pondering" most likely refers to reading, while his "quaint and curious volume" refers to strange books. "Forgotten lore" refers to old legends and superstition. Threfore, the author is likely reading strange books on superstitons, or black magic. This image allows Poe to develop the tone of the poem in the first few lines.