Ever since he published “The Raven” in an 1845 edition of the New York Evening Mirror, Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem has been the target of endless tributes, imitations, and parodies.
To celebrate the September 8 opening of a 2009 bicentennial exhibit on Poe, the Harry Ransom Center is encouraging writers to compose a parody of “The Raven” for fame and prizes on the website. For inspiration, they uncovered what must be the oldest Poe parody, an 1853 poem entitled, “The Vulture: An Ornithological Study.”
Here’s more on the contest, from the Poe Mania site: “Write your own parody of ‘The Raven’ based on something from your daily life and submit it to poe@hrc.utexas.edu. We will post our favorites here. Submissions become property of the Harry Ransom Center for use on this website or in other Ransom Center materials. All submissions will be entered into a drawing for a copy of ‘Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.'”