http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/ Poe the Perfectionist Content Overview This interactive helps students identify how poets, specifically Poe, revise their work in an effort to convey specific feelings and images. Students will have the opportunity to explore three drafts of one of Poe s earliest poems, The Lake.. The Lake was published 87, when Poe was just 8.. The Lake TO was published in 89. This is one of the many versions Poe wrote after 87.. The Lake To--- is the final draft of the poem, published in 845. By selecting color-coded buttons above the poem students can see the following information highlighted: Changes in Structure (Blue) See how the title and stanza spacing changes over time. Changes in Punctuation (Yellow) See how Poe used commas, dashes, semicolons, and periods to tweak the rhythm and meaning of the poem. Changes in Word Choice (Green) See how Poe changed or added words and phrases in the different versions of the poem. All Changes See all the changes in structure, punctuation, and language at the same time. As students examine the different versions, encourage them to think about the following questions: What exactly has been changed here? Is it different in all three versions, or is it the same in one of the other versions? Why do you think Poe changed this part of the poem? How does the change affect the rhythm of the poem? How does it affect the meaning? Do you like the change Poe made? Would you have changed it this way? If not, what editing suggestions would you instead? Consider beginning the lesson with the video clip located just above the interactive. Actor John Astin, as Edgar Allen Poe, discusses why he revisited his works throughout his career. Throughout my career, I revisited both published and unpublished versions of my tales and poems to look at the language I used and its effect. Sometimes, I felt I could sharpen the reader s impressions with just a few changes in words or punctuation. Sometimes I dropped or added whole lines or sentences. All the changes, however, were done in service to the poem or the tale and its life in the reader s soul.
87 From: Tamerlane and Other And the tall pines that tower'd around. 89 And, in it's [[its]] gulf a fitting grave 845 From: The Raven and Other But when the Night had thrown her
87 From: Tamerlane and Other Highlighted: Changes in Structure 89 845 From: The Raven and Other 8888888888888888 88888888888888888888 888888888888888888 But when the Night had thrown her
87 From: Tamerlane and Other Highlighted: Changes in Punctuation 89 845 From: The Raven and Other But when the Night had thrown her
87 From: Tamerlane and Other Highlighted: Changes in Word Choice 89 845 From: The Raven and Other But when the Night had thrown her
Highlighted: All Changes Key: Blue highlights = Changes in Structure Yellow highlights = Changes in Punctuation Green highlights = Changes in Word Choice 87 89 845 From: Tamerlane and Other 8888888888888888 888888888888888888 8888888888888888888 From: The Raven and Other But when the Night had thrown her