The Raven notes
The Raven
Symbolism
The narrator never gives his name. He is a mournful man after his love's death. He hides away in his chamber, not wishing to speak to anyone. Instead, he reads his books, showing that he is a scholarly man. He admits he "sought to borrow / From [his] books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore," but he is unable to forget her (line 9-10). This is why he starts to see the bird. He cannot move on. When the narrator meets the bird, he does not think it unusual that it talks. Either this shows that the narrator is losing his mind or he knows the bird is a supernatural being from the start. The narrator also seems to be quite defensive of his Lenore or at least, he is quick to anger. When the raven tells him Lenore is not in Heaven, he starts to yell and tries to get the bird to leave even though it was not really answering his question. It was just saying the only thing it can say, "Nevermore."
- Narrator in "The Raven" Poe himself? Evidence that Poe's wife partner died, narrator may be Poe expressing his own dark, mournful emotions.
The raven is a mysterious being. The narrator assumes it is from the underworld. "Nevermore" is the raven's only "stock and store" (line 62). It never says anything else throughout the poem. The raven itself does not have much personality outside of its call of "Nevermore", but it is a symbol of the narrator's grief as well as the wisdom that the narrator gains through their exchange. The raven's presence helps to establish the darkness of the poem, making it more Gothic, also.
Throughout history and literature, ravens have been symbols of many things such as bad luck, death, the black magic powers of wizards such as Merlin, or as the familiars of evil-doers. In Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Raven’ poem, the bird represents some or all of these things but they all have one thing in common, fear.
- Raven, manifestation of conscience?
- Psychological manipulation?
- Manifestation of
Symbolism
The narrator never gives his name. He is a mournful man after his love's death. He hides away in his chamber, not wishing to speak to anyone. Instead, he reads his books, showing that he is a scholarly man. He admits he "sought to borrow / From [his] books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore," but he is unable to forget her (line 9-10). This is why he starts to see the bird. He cannot move on. When the narrator meets the bird, he does not think it unusual that it talks. Either this shows that the narrator is losing his mind or he knows the bird is a supernatural being from the start. The narrator also seems to be quite defensive of his Lenore or at least, he is quick to anger. When the raven tells him Lenore is not in Heaven, he starts to yell and tries to get the bird to leave even though it was not really answering his question. It was just saying the only thing it can say, "Nevermore."
- Narrator in "The Raven" Poe himself? Evidence that Poe's wife partner died, narrator may be Poe expressing his own dark, mournful emotions.
The raven is a mysterious being. The narrator assumes it is from the underworld. "Nevermore" is the raven's only "stock and store" (line 62). It never says anything else throughout the poem. The raven itself does not have much personality outside of its call of "Nevermore", but it is a symbol of the narrator's grief as well as the wisdom that the narrator gains through their exchange. The raven's presence helps to establish the darkness of the poem, making it more Gothic, also.
Throughout history and literature, ravens have been symbols of many things such as bad luck, death, the black magic powers of wizards such as Merlin, or as the familiars of evil-doers. In Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Raven’ poem, the bird represents some or all of these things but they all have one thing in common, fear.
- Raven, manifestation of conscience?
- Psychological manipulation?
- Manifestation of