Question

Now that the beginning of your script sounds active and engaging, it’s time to keep writing. You would ideally like to include a few lines of the poem, which you plan to read in a dramatic voice to heighten the tension of the video. You’re hoping to find lines that could speak to a modern-day reader.

Which lines do you think work best to heighten tension and draw viewers in with words and emotions that still work in a modern context?
Question 2 options:

"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there/ wondering, fearing,/ Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before…"


"So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood/ repeating/ ''Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door…"


"Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning/ Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before."


"Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a/ flirt and flutter,/ In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of/ yore…"

Answer 1

Best picks: lines 2, 3, and 1 — in that order — with line 4 reserved for the reveal.

- "So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood/ repeating/ ''Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door…"
Why: Immediate, visceral, and instantly relatable — the narrator’s racing heart and the attempt to rationalize fear translate directly to a modern viewer.
Performance tip: Drop your volume, slow the cadence, press on “beating of my heart,” and add a soft, rhythmic heartbeat sound underneath.

- "Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning/ Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before."
Why: Concrete sensory action that builds suspense step-by-step; “tapping… louder” is a classic tension cue that pairs well with on-screen sound effects.
Performance tip: Pause after “burning,” then let the delivered “tapping” sound sync with an actual tap; increase vocal intensity slightly on “louder than before.”

- "Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there/ wondering, fearing,/ Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before…"
Why: Richly atmospheric and eerie — good for a slow, haunting beat to deepen mood and evoke dread. It’s more poetic, so use it as a mood-establishing moment rather than quick action.
Performance tip: Use measured, reverent pacing; let “dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared” hang to create an unsettling pause.

- "Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a/ flirt and flutter,/ In there stepped a stately Raven…"
Use this as the cinematic reveal — it’s iconic and theatrical. The “flirt and flutter” has a slightly comic cadence, so deliver it with a crisp, startled lift before revealing the raven in frame.

Short staging idea: lead with the heartbeat line close to camera, cut to the tapping line as camera pulls back and sound isolates the tap, linger with the “darkness peering” line over dim visuals, then burst into the “open here I flung the shutter” reveal.