Summary
The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe, is a poem about a widowed man reading alone one night when he is suddenly visited by a raven that can only say: “Nevermore.” What ensues is a tragic descent into madness as the speaker desperately grasps at what little hope he can by asking the bird about his future and his wife, with each inquiry being shot down by that simple phrase: “Nevermore.” Enraged by the Raven’s answers, the speaker attempts to make it return to the “nightly shores” but quickly realises that it’s there to stay and thus succumbs to his grief; his soul now cast in shadow “Shall be lifted – nevermore!”
The Speaker’s Mental State and Relationship with the Raven
It is evident that the speaker is a deeply depressed individual struggling to work through the grief of losing his love (Lenore); who is first mentioned in the second stanza with the line: “From my books surcease of sorrow – sorrow for the lost Lenore – for the rare and radiant maiden whom angels the angels name Lenore – nameless here for evermore.” Readers see that he is obsessed with the macabre and supernatural, making constant reference to it while also occasionally fixing his attention on the darkness of his home: “Deep into darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.” He is also quick to cling onto any sort of distraction, evidently seen when the Raven first appears as he almost seems enchanted by its presence: “Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling.” This is not just because of his grief, but also because of his lack of company hinted at with “Other friends have flown before,” further emphasizing his loneliness and his despondent mood.
As for the Raven itself, it’s clear that it is a metaphor for the speaker’s grief and an embodiment of the crushing hopelessness that he feels. When it first appears, the Raven seems regal but unnatural with constant reference being made to the Roman God, Pluto, and the “nightly shores of the underworld.” Despite the speaker’s apprehension towards the bird, he still seems to enjoy its presence and – as mentioned before – the distraction it provides. However, as it continues to reinforce answers to questions that the speaker already knew (that he won’t ever see his love again) with that simple phrase, “Nevermore,” the speaker becomes enraged and completely crumbles – dubbing it a “fiend” and ordering it return to “The Night’s Plutonian Shore!” But the Raven is there to stay, seemingly becoming a part of the decor itself (“On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door,”) to haunt the speaker forever – a tragic reflection of grief itself.
I mentioned previously that the Raven gave the speaker answers that he already knew, this is because it is suggested throughout the poem that the bird is nothing but a manifestation of his mind. “Nevermore,” closely relates to the speaker’s dialogue from stanzas one to six, wherein he tries to dismiss the strange goings on in his house with lines such as: “‘Tis the wind and nothing more!” The speaker even acknowledges this himself later on in the poem when he comments on the Raven’s words, “What it utters is its only stock and store caught from some unhappy master.” Additionally, the speaker switches between various explanations concerning the Raven’s nature, referring to it as a “tempest” in one instance and then a messenger for ancient Gods in another. This added layer of unreliability only further hints at his unstable mental condition and that the bird is just a figment of his imagination.
Confessionalism and Catharsis
Poe wrote The Raven while his wife was deathly ill, which provides a lot of context to the themes seen throughout. The suffocating sense of hopelessness enshrouding the poem was perhaps a representation of the feelings Poe felt while grappling with the reality of losing his wife. The speaker’s descent into madness could also be Poe expressing his own harrowing journey and the addled state the tragic event left his mind in. The deep depression and loneliness the speaker suffers throughout was likely a reflection of his own, sadly insinuating that there was no one else there to help him and his wife get through such a horrible experience. The choice of using a raven to represent the speaker’s (and Poe’s) grief is also significant, as they are commonly considered as ill omens; inferring that Poe had little hope from the start that his wife would recover from her illness.
Romanticism
Romanticism is a literary movement that surfaced in the 18th century, rejecting the principles of rationality and the reasoned approach towards the world to instead focus emotion and the individual. It created art that embraced imagination and wasn’t afraid to express the irrational feelings that are a part of the human experience.
Poe’s confessional pieces are examples of this movement, as his stories used the supernatural as a tool to explore his emotions and his struggles. The Raven is no different, with its emphasis on love and grief being at the forefront of the poem. Readers truly grasp the level of torment he endured and begin to feel the pain in his words. Poe also shows his dedication to his wife and clearly depicts the utter sense of loss he would be left with without her, emphasising the confessional nature of the poem and making it that much more personal.
The fact that Poe so willingly opens his heart to his readers also allows them to relate to the writer and his experiences. People may have suffered similar tragedies and reading a piece like The Raven can potentially provide the same amount of catharsis that writing it did; ultimately creating a deeper connection between the artist and audience members.
Witchers and Witches 