Excerpt from The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe
But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered 'Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bird said, 'Nevermore.'
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excerpt from a Native American folktale:
When Raven saw the Sun, Moon and stars, and fresh water hanging on the sides of Eagle's lodge, he knew what he should do. He watched for his chance to seize them when no one was looking. He stole all of them, and a brand of fire also, and flew out of the longhouse through the smoke hole. As soon as Raven got outside he hung the Sun up in the sky. It made so much light that he was able to fly far out to an island in the middle of the ocean. When the Sun set, he fastened the Moon up in the sky and hung the stars around in different places.
These two excerpts, from very different cultural settings, portray ravens in different ways. Which statement BEST describes this?
A) Poe's raven is extremely funny and comical; the folktale raven is cruel and selfish.
B) Poe's raven is a messenger of joy; the folktale raven is a messenger of darkness and evil.
C) Poe's raven is gloomy and ominous; the folktale raven brings the gift of light.
D) Poe's raven is black; the folktale raven is white.