Stephen Mead's Live Performance of Edgar Allan Poe Poetry of The Raven, Masque of the Red Death, Tail-tale

THE BELLS –

“The Bells” is a heavily onomatopoeic poem by Edgar Allan Poe which was not published until after his death in 1849. It is perhaps best known for the diacope use of the word “bells.” The poem has four parts to it; each part becomes darker and darker as the poem progresses from happy Christmas Bells towards the last Death Knell bells

Length: about 7 minutes

THE RAVEN –

“The Raven” is a narrative poem that has perfectly created a supernatural atmosphere by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845. The poem tells of a talking raven’s mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man’s slow fall into madness. The lover is lamenting the loss of his love, Lenore. As the Raven stands on a bust of Pallas, the raven with its constant repetition of the word “Nevermore” drives the lover mad. The poem makes use of folk, mythological, religious, and classical references.

Length: about 12 minutes

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH – “

"The Masque of the Red Death” The story follows Prince Prospero’s attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, known as the Red Death, by hiding in his abbey. He decides to through a large masquerade ball and invites all his wealthy friends. The party takes place in seven rooms, each decorated with a different color. When the party is in full swing, a mysterious figure disguised as a Red Death victim appears and makes his way through each of the rooms. Prospero becomes furious and confronts this mysterious guest. And the moral of the story is death finds everyone.

Length: about 18 minutes

THE TELL-TALE HEART –

“The Tell-Tale Heart” first published in 1843. It is related by an unnamed narrator who endeavors to convince the reader of the narrator’s sanity while simultaneously describing a murder he has committed. He did the deed because the victim was an old man with a filmy “vulture-eye”. The narrator describes how he choose the perfect time of the murder, attempting the perfect crime, complete with dismembering and hiding the body under the floorboards. But suddenly he becomes unhinged by hearing a thumping sound, which the narrator interprets as the dead man’s beating heart.

Length: about 18 minutes

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Halloween Edgar Allan Poe