Poetry Essay

An analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”

Symbols

Some of the symbols contained within Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” include The Raven itself as it is a symbol of doom and ill fortune. The Raven symbolizes the gloom that faces the narrator upon losing his love known as Lenore. During the time of the poem’s writing, the rave was considered a bird that brought misfortune to people and was greatly feared by people. The poet uses The Raven to symbolize the finality of the narrators gloom as evidence that the narrator’s loss is permanent. When The Raven keeps repeating the word “nevermore” to all the questions that the narrator asks, one is communicating to the narrator that his bad fortune is not about to change. The poet could have used any other bird or even a human being to bring the message of doom and gloom to the narrator, but he chose The Raven because if the finality of its one-word message “nevermore.” If the poet had used a human being, the person would have understood the narrator’s questions and would have been required to respond differently to each question. However, The Raven does not understand the narrator’s questions which agitates the narrator and might have been the cause of his deteriorating state throughout the poem up to the point of madness. Therefore, it is clear that The Raven was chosen to spread the message of doom and gloom, which is what it symbolizes.

Tone

The poem has a sad melancholic tone as it revolves around the loss experienced by the narrator and the pain he feels for losing his lover named Lenore. The somber tone is reflected by The Raven, which is a bird that is closely related with tragedy and is also reflected in the narrator’s repetitive questions to a bird that has only one answer. The description of the setting of the poem and the weather present throughout the poem is an indicator of the sad tone of the poem. The poem is set on a dreary night in December where the winds are howling and the weather is...