Question

As you read the poem “The Raven,” which words from the poem did you need to look up in a dictionary? List at least three and provide their definitions. Include both the literal meaning and the meaning within the context of the poem.

Answer 1

quaff- to swallow hurriedly or greedily or to do in on drought

surcease- a stopping

ponder- reflect deeply on a subject 

Answer 2

Answer:

Surcease, Lattice and censer

Explanation:

surcease- to stop, to put an end to it

(here, the narrator wishes he could put a stop into the feelings of sorrow, as it reminds him of his loss of Lenore, his beloved.)  

lattice- horizontally or vertically constructed strips of wooden panels for windows or gardens

(He thinks that he saw something at his window and is somehow intrigued by the mystery to the tapping)  

censer- ornamental container for dispensing incense especially for religious purposes.

(The narrator thinks that God has sent angels to cause the air within the room to become dense and perfumed.)