Question

Which of the following lines from "The Raven" best illustrates how the author's word choice impacts the mood and tone of the poem?

A. "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,"
B. "Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,"
C. "Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;"
D. "Nothing further than he uttered , not a feather then he fluttered---"

Answer 1

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

This is the correct answer, because Poe established his mood toward that specific night. Dreary means dull, bleak, and lifeless; depressing, and the whole poem does not detour from that topic when reading past this quote.

"weak and weary"

Poe then makes known of his physical state of being tired and feeble, which can all relate to symptoms of depression, which again, stay all the way throughout the story.