Discover a RARE gem at REBEL & ROOTS with this First Edition of The Raven: Philosophy of Composition (1930). Its large 8" x 10.5" design is encased in deep black full cloth boards, adorned with an impressed black raven in sharp gilted gold relief. Every page is graced with intriguing art nouveau monochromatic imagery, and an illustration of Poe by Horvath adds to its allure. This volume also provides an insightful glimpse into Poe's literary genius through "The Philosophy of Composition," where he elucidates his approach to creating masterful works. Embrace a piece of literary history that epitomizes our values of unusual and authentic finds.
Ferdinand Huszti Horvath was a Hungarian immigrant and book illustrator, who was born in 1891 and died of a stroke in 1973. From 1934-1937, he worked at the Disney Studios on everything from advertising to illustrations for a pop-up book to painting backgrounds and doing layouts to constructing three dimensional models (such as making a windmill for study for 'The Old Mill") to character designs and gags for over fifty Silly Symphonies and Mickey Mouse shorts.
Edgar Allan Poe's hazy narrative begins on a night in December when "The Raven" haunts the unnamed narrator who sits reading "forgotten lore" to sublimate the loss of his love, Lenore. A "rapping at his chamber door" reveals nothing, yet excites his soul to "burning". A similar rapping, slightly louder, is heard at his window. When he investigates, a raven enters his chamber. Paying no attention, the raven perches atop a bust of Pallas high above the door. Amused by the raven's comically serious disposition, the man asks that the bird tell him its name. The raven's only answer is "Nevermore". The narrator is surprised that the raven can talk, though at this point it has said nothing further. The narrator remarks to himself that his "friend" will soon fly out of his life, just as "other friends have flown before". The raven responds again with "Nevermore". The narrator reasons that the bird learned the word "Nevermore" from some "unhappy master" and that it is the only word it knows. Regardless, the narrator pulls his chair directly in front of the raven, determined to learn more. He thinks for a moment, and his mind wanders to his lost Lenore. He thinks the air grows denser and feels the presence of angels, and wonders if God is sending him a sign that he is to forget Lenore. The bird again replies in the negative, suggesting that he can never be free of his memories. The narrator becomes angry, calling the raven a "thing of evil". Finally, he asks whether he will be reunited with Lenore in Heaven. When the raven responds with its typical "Nevermore", he is enraged, and, calling it a liar, commands the bird to return to the "Plutonian shore", - but it does not move. The narrator's final admission is that his soul is trapped beneath the raven's shadow and shall be lifted "Nevermore". 
by Poe, Edgar Allan
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New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1930. First edition.