Lenore Symbolism In The Raven

In his poem, Poe uses Lenore as a symbol of an idealized love and perfect beauty. As Poe writes, “For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore” (11). For the narrator, Lenore is unique and unmatched in beauty. The reader, however, is never given a true description of Lenore and her appearance, as well as her untimely death, remains obscure throughout the poem. This allows the reader to create their own image of Lenore, highlighting her perfect beauty. As the narrator comes to idolize the love of Lenore, the effects of her death become obvious, weakening his psyche until it can no longer remain whole.
The raven is used by the author to represent the irrationality of the narrator’s mind. Despite the meaningless response of the
However, his irrational mind cannot accept this, and instead views the raven as a supernatural messenger. The symbolism behind the raven is made even more prominent when it is connected with the bust of Pallas.
The narrator’s bust of Pallas, another name for the Greek goddess Athena, symbolizes wisdom. This wisdom refers not only to the credence the narrator places on the raven’s words, but also to the integrity of his mind. Poe writes:
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted—nevermore!
Each stanza is comprised of six lines displaying an external rhyme scheme of ABCBBB and an internal rhyme scheme of AABCCCBBB. Each poetic verse has sixteen syllables divided into eight stressed, unstressed syllable patterns, which categorizes the poem as trochaic octameter. When typed, the poem spans three pages.
VIII. IMAGERY
Edgar Allan Poe’s writing in “The Raven” overflows with its uses of figurative language in order to draw the reader into the mental state of the man. Poe’s use of descriptive images, coupled with his melancholic tone, creates an aura of obscurity and mystery around both the life of the man and the presence of the raven. By utilizing a range of imagery, he manages to submerge the reader in the story of the man and watch as his psyche is slowly shattered.
Poe uses metaphors throughout the story. When describing the raven’s gaze, he writes “To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core” (74). The poet utilizes the image of fiery eyes to emphasize the fierce stare the narrator believes the raven has given