The Raven Literary Analysis
“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe is a dark and mysterious tale describing the narrator as he attempts to contain his grief. Lenore is the love of the narrator, and he is left with a hole within him from her death. This hole is only deepened when a raven, that reminds the narrator of his lost Lenore, perches itself outside of his home. Dhahir explains the narrator’s feelings in her statement, “With frazzled nerves and agitated state he lets into his room a creature which not only echoes his sordid mood but takes it to frenzied heights of self-torture” (Dhahir). Written from the first person perspective, the pain of the narrator is vividly expressed. In Poe’s “The Raven”, through the loss of his love Lenore, the narrator is left with a sorrow that
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is only deepened with the presence of a raven who represents all that is dark in his life.
The sullen and melancholy feelings of the narrator are shown immediately in the poem. Within the first line, Poe introduces his character by saying, “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary” (Poe line 1). The narrator is shown with an underlying dismay that is consistent with the rest of the poem. While sitting alone in his study, the narrator is filling his time with books that remind him of Lenore. He spends much of his time describing the irreplaceable Lenore and all her angelic qualities. Poe describes her as a “rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore” (Poe 11). These feelings are congruent to Poe’s own feelings as described by Dhahir, “The sorrow which the man in ‘The Raven’ undergoes following the death of his beloved Lenore also has its parallel in Poe's personal life, namely his grief over the loss of his young wife, Virginia, who, like his mother, died of consumption, or what is now known as tuberculosis” (Dhahir). This causes the reader to feel bad for the narrator, hope that he may forget his pain, and move on without his beloved Lenore. The narrator continues in his lonely state until he is stirred by an unexpected visitor. The narrator is greatly surprised when he hears the knocking on his door.
To this strange visitor he replies, “’Sir,’ said I, ‘or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; / But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, / And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door / That I scarce was sure I heard you,’” (Poe 20-23). There is a level of intrigue in the narrator as he proceeds to open the door. Fearful, the narrator calls into the darkness, “Lenore?” He is immediately echoed with a whisper, “Lenore.” The narrator is struck with a fear that burns deep into him as he searches for the source of the tapping. He is not expecting the visitor he receives, a raven sitting dark and ominous on the bust of Pallas. This bust is an allusion to Pallas Athena the Greek goddess of wisdom. This causes the presence of the Raven to have a greater impact. Now the bird not only unsettles the narrator but also gives a symbol of wisdom. The Raven’s single word is what gives the poem its mysterious aspect. Hillary Turner shows another dark aspect of the bird in saying, “The Raven, by contrast, is unwaveringly sinister—with a gentlemanly aspect reminiscent of the Prince of Darkness” (Turner). Some allusions to the forbidding bird express the societal context of the time. For instance, “the raven himself is a part and parcel of Southern superstition, which associates the black bird with death”, thus, the presupposition of the raven being an evil entity
(Dhahir). Soon the narrator becomes frustrated by the presence of the bird because of the pain it symbolizes for him. Poe’s imagery is vivid describing the pain the narrator felt, “To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core” (Poe 74). The Raven’s presence produced such torment it seems to cause the man physical discomfort. Poe uses allusion to further the description of his dark entity. This is explained by Dhahir saying, “For instance, he is ready to view the raven as a native of the ‘Night's Plutonian shore,’ the underworld in Classical mythology, as soon as he lays his eyes on him, even before the bird has uttered his lonely word” (Dhahir). Poe uses the comparison between the bird and the underworld to place depth to its intimidation. The narrator fears it greatly, and cannot move past the sense of an omen. The phrase “’Prophet!’ said I, ‘thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!” is exclaimed twice by the narrator in consecutive stanzas (Poe 90). The Raven has become more than a bird in his mind. The man is now consumed in the belief that the Raven is a sign of his future. He believes “He is damned in this world and the one to come, and certainly has no hope of being with the "saintly" Lenore” (Dhahir). The idea tortures him. He can hardly live without his beloved Lenore, and cannot fathom being without her for eternity. With this omen of the Raven hanging over the narrator, it is no wonder he feels tormented. The only answer he receives in his vain attempts for answers is nevermore. The meaning of this is explained by Jorie Graham as “One could ultimately argue the word nevermore here is seen as being born out of the word never” (Graham). Everything the narrator says is countered with never. Poe describes the feelings of the narrator in great detail throughout the poem, and allows the reader to feel the same pain and fear the raven brings to the man. With its many ominous features, as well as many references to dark entities, the raven causes the narrator to long for Lenore.
is only deepened with the presence of a raven who represents all that is dark in his life.
The sullen and melancholy feelings of the narrator are shown immediately in the poem. Within the first line, Poe introduces his character by saying, “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary” (Poe line 1). The narrator is shown with an underlying dismay that is consistent with the rest of the poem. While sitting alone in his study, the narrator is filling his time with books that remind him of Lenore. He spends much of his time describing the irreplaceable Lenore and all her angelic qualities. Poe describes her as a “rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore” (Poe 11). These feelings are congruent to Poe’s own feelings as described by Dhahir, “The sorrow which the man in ‘The Raven’ undergoes following the death of his beloved Lenore also has its parallel in Poe's personal life, namely his grief over the loss of his young wife, Virginia, who, like his mother, died of consumption, or what is now known as tuberculosis” (Dhahir). This causes the reader to feel bad for the narrator, hope that he may forget his pain, and move on without his beloved Lenore. The narrator continues in his lonely state until he is stirred by an unexpected visitor. The narrator is greatly surprised when he hears the knocking on his door.
To this strange visitor he replies, “’Sir,’ said I, ‘or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; / But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, / And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door / That I scarce was sure I heard you,’” (Poe 20-23). There is a level of intrigue in the narrator as he proceeds to open the door. Fearful, the narrator calls into the darkness, “Lenore?” He is immediately echoed with a whisper, “Lenore.” The narrator is struck with a fear that burns deep into him as he searches for the source of the tapping. He is not expecting the visitor he receives, a raven sitting dark and ominous on the bust of Pallas. This bust is an allusion to Pallas Athena the Greek goddess of wisdom. This causes the presence of the Raven to have a greater impact. Now the bird not only unsettles the narrator but also gives a symbol of wisdom. The Raven’s single word is what gives the poem its mysterious aspect. Hillary Turner shows another dark aspect of the bird in saying, “The Raven, by contrast, is unwaveringly sinister—with a gentlemanly aspect reminiscent of the Prince of Darkness” (Turner). Some allusions to the forbidding bird express the societal context of the time. For instance, “the raven himself is a part and parcel of Southern superstition, which associates the black bird with death”, thus, the presupposition of the raven being an evil entity
(Dhahir). Soon the narrator becomes frustrated by the presence of the bird because of the pain it symbolizes for him. Poe’s imagery is vivid describing the pain the narrator felt, “To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core” (Poe 74). The Raven’s presence produced such torment it seems to cause the man physical discomfort. Poe uses allusion to further the description of his dark entity. This is explained by Dhahir saying, “For instance, he is ready to view the raven as a native of the ‘Night's Plutonian shore,’ the underworld in Classical mythology, as soon as he lays his eyes on him, even before the bird has uttered his lonely word” (Dhahir). Poe uses the comparison between the bird and the underworld to place depth to its intimidation. The narrator fears it greatly, and cannot move past the sense of an omen. The phrase “’Prophet!’ said I, ‘thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!” is exclaimed twice by the narrator in consecutive stanzas (Poe 90). The Raven has become more than a bird in his mind. The man is now consumed in the belief that the Raven is a sign of his future. He believes “He is damned in this world and the one to come, and certainly has no hope of being with the "saintly" Lenore” (Dhahir). The idea tortures him. He can hardly live without his beloved Lenore, and cannot fathom being without her for eternity. With this omen of the Raven hanging over the narrator, it is no wonder he feels tormented. The only answer he receives in his vain attempts for answers is nevermore. The meaning of this is explained by Jorie Graham as “One could ultimately argue the word nevermore here is seen as being born out of the word never” (Graham). Everything the narrator says is countered with never. Poe describes the feelings of the narrator in great detail throughout the poem, and allows the reader to feel the same pain and fear the raven brings to the man. With its many ominous features, as well as many references to dark entities, the raven causes the narrator to long for Lenore.