A Look into the Dark Side of Edgar Allan Poe

Written by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven” is a famous short poem known for the dark fantasy that it portrays. From the mindset of a first person narrative, one may experience the tale through the eyes of a haunted man who is in mourning for the death of his beloved Lenore. As this man sits in his chamber, within a dark and dreary December night, a “raven of the saintly days of yore” visits him. The raven is no ordinary bird, for it is like a ghost, silent, yet it answers every inquiry the man presents in it’s own personal way. This dark and tragic tale grabs one’s attention through the rhythmic, yet melancholy verses, through the classic references, and through the dark imagery that all play a critical role within this poem.

The raven directs all further action in the poem, it ridicules and patronizes the narrator throughout the composition and its evil force permeates the air and induces suffering and anguish within the character. Emotions culminate with the attainment of a climax as the narrator faces his confused and disordered world. The narrator, in his madness, shrieks, “Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!” (98). Poe’s calculated use of symbolism was influential in establishing the literary reputation of “The Raven”. The raven is established as a symbol for the narrator's mournful and ceaseless remembrance of his lost love. The raven is of significant importance to the melancholic theme because it is often seen as being a harbinger of death.

There is always a reason why a piece of literature is written. Whether it is for for the author’s voice to be heard, to entertain its reader, or to spread knowledge, there is always a purpose behind the work. In many cases in poetry, the piece is written as an outlet for emotion, the chance to write down their deepest feelings. Edgar Allan Poe had a drastic life and suffered from deep depression, so he was bound to be an excellent poet. In his most famous poem, “The Raven”, it is evident that he was suffering from self-torture and anxiety. As one reads this poem, many things can be learned about Poe himself, what his life was like, and what emotions he has bottled up inside of him. A poem is an outlet for an author, and through a thorough analysis of the work, one can get an understanding of much more than the story that is told. Through “The Raven”, one can see the world through Edgar Allan Poe’s eyes.

The poem The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe shows a man coping with harsh times with the help of the raven. The poem begins with the man alone where he hears something tapping on his door. He continues to hear the tapping until he sees the raven and lets him into his chamber. The speaker begins to talk to the raven and realizes that the bird can only say the word “Nevermore”. In the beginning of the poem the man sees the bird as a burden and wants him gone. However, as the poem goes on the speaker wants the bird there and begins to alter his questions so that the correct answer will be “Nevermore”. As the poem goes on the speaker sees the bird as more of a friend than a burden and does not want him to leave. For example, it states “But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only That one word, as if his soul in that one

The poem, “The Raven,” written by Edgar Allen Poe shows the deep depression and confusion that the narrator is experiencing since the death of his beloved wife. The gloomy setting of the poem predicts the visit of the Raven, whom is a sign of misfortune, darkness, and death. Throughout the poem, the narrator is continually mourning his wife, Lenore. He secretly hopes that the Raven will bring good news regarding his wife and his future; however, the Raven informs him that he will forever remain depressed. Furthermore, Poe uses setting, strong word choice, and symbolism to illustrate the Raven as the messenger of darkness and explain the narrator’s emotional state.

“The Raven” is a magnificent piece by a very well known poet from the 19th century, Edgar Allan Poe. Poe was well known for his dark and haunting poetry. Along with writing poetry, Poe was also recognized for his Gothic-style short stories. “The Raven” is one of Poe’s greatest accomplishments and was even turned into recitals and numerous television appearances. “The Raven” tells a story about an unnamed narrator whose beloved Lenore has left him. A raven comes at different points throughout the poem and tells the narrator that he and his lover are “Nevermore.” Poe presents the downfall of the narrator’s mind through the raven and many chilling events. By thorough review and studying of Edgar Allan Poe’s work, one can fully understand the

Edgar Allan Poe is a writer who uses many types of writing techniques in his short stories and poems. As a child, his parents died when he was three years old, and once he grew up, he attended two colleges and was kicked out of both. He lost his editing job due to his heavy drinking. These unlikely events show why he writes the way he does today but the one event that caused his darkness to show was when his wife died. Poe is a literary genius because of his ability to use many different literary styles. Edgar Allan Poe creates an atmosphere of fear in “The Cask of Amontillado” through the setting, imagery, and characterization.

Edgar Allan Poe wrote multiple pieces of work that were phenomenal. Two of his greatest works of literature were “The Raven” and “The Cask of Amontillado.” Despite one of these being a poem and the other a short story, they both have similarities in their uses of imagery and intense symbolizations. The symbolism, in both pieces, takes one on a journey to dark, lonely places. One is allowed to feel the mood and intentions of each work through its extremely isolated settings in dark, dreary locations. The Motive for Murder in “The Cask of Amontillado,” by Elena Baraban, shows supporting reasons of this, as well. In “The raven,” Poe wisely chose individual words and phrases to serve the purpose of symbolizing death and what

In the beginning of the story, the narrator speaks of his lost love, Lenore, and says how he is distraught over her passing. Succeeding this moment of sorrow, he hears a “rapping on his chamber door ( Poe 4) which causes him to be curious who would be knocking at his chamber door at such an hour. He is filled with both hope, for the return of his lost Lenore, and terror for whatever he could dream was at his door. Then in came the raven and perched himself atop his chamber door on top of a statue of the Greek goddess Athena, who is the goddess of wisdom. For the symbolism of the raven, the narrator sees the raven as grim, ghastly, and ominous, but gives a new sense of curiosity to the narrator. The symbolism of a raven is the engaging in mystical and magical arts and gaining and receiving secret knowledge. Knowing this, it shows how the narrator would be both frightened, and fascinated at the presence of a mystical bird on his chamber door. Also the statue of Athena symbolizes the wisdom of the raven to perch on top of it and also adds to the mysterious side of the creature. But there could also be other reasons why the raven could seem scary and

Edgar Allan Poe is the most morbid of all American authors. Poe made his impact in Gothic fiction, especially for the tales of the macabre of which he is so renowned for. “How can so strange & so fine a genius & so sad a life, be exprest [sic] & comprest in on line — would it not be best to say of Poe in a reverential spirit simply Requiescat in Pace [?]” — (Alfred Lord Tennyson’s reply to the Poe Memorial committee, February 18, 1876). Poe’s own life story sheds light on the darkness of his writings.

The Raven tells a story of a man with much grief over this loss of his love, Lenore. As the poem opens, the narrator is trying to find peace through his books. He states, “…while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,” (862). The setting, a chamber in a house, is described in such a way that creates a very dark, almost melancholy style. The narrator, while trying to find comfort for his loss, hears a tapping at his window. As he opens the window, a raven, a long time symbol of death, flies in, and refuses to leave. Poe uses the symbol of the raven, and his repeating word of “nevermore”, to show that the narrator will never get over the loss of his love, Lenore.

In the popular television show, “One Tree Hill”, Lucas Scott once stated, “Some people believe that ravens guide travelers to their destinations. Others believe that the sight of a solitary raven is considered good luck or more than one raven together predicts trouble ahead.” People have many different opinions about what ravens signify. In Poe’s “The Raven” it becomes clear that the raven symbolizes emotional suffering and also portrays a vivid understanding of reality.

"The Raven" is one of the most famous compositions of Edgar Allan Poe published in 1845, and for me is certainly an exceptional poem. Each time I read it is impossible for me not to think about the meaning of the raven as the protagonist and the connection the image has with society for many years. In some cultures, the raven is a symbol of eternal life, whereas in other places, like in my country (Colombia), the raven is an image of myths and dead. Likewise, the choice of a raven as the protagonist of this poem is suitable for a number of reasons(as he himself explains) Indeed, not many animals are capable of carrying out human-like sounds and at the time it was wrote this black furred animal was conceived as a bad sign.

Edgar Allan Poe was a prominent writer during the era of Romanticism, but Poe’s poems focused primarily on the Dark Romanticism, developed under Romanticism. The era of Romanticism was commonly described as showing raw emotion, but there was still a conflict in the story. The purpose of Romanticism was for the writer to feel free; there were no rules when it came to this form of writing. Dark Romanticism was looking at the gothic side of stories rather than the heroism stories, which focused more on death, and the flaws of humans. Dark Romanticism also focused on the evil aspect of writings rather than the heroic part to stories. Edgar Allan Poe’s poems are shown more in this type of writing rather than the typical Romantic writings. When looking more into Dark Romanticism readers are able to see how Poe could have connected his personal turmoil to his poems. The University of Delaware’s library says, “Suffering for offenses against God, man and Nature, the hero-villains wander the earth, alone and misunderstood. Their personal torment in a vast universe is emphasized by desolate settings of icebound seas, jagged mountains and bottomless abysses: imagery that would inspire artistic, literary, and musical compositions,” (Dark Romanticism). This quote shows readers that writers during the Dark Romanticism era used their own sufferings in order to make the stories seem more dramatic and almost human. Looking into the poems “Annabel Lee” and “The Raven”, readers are able to see

“The Raven” symbolizes to Poe, why this poem is so deeply credited for this author, and what made him decide to write the poem. People wonder what truly went on in the mind of Poe as he was writing one of his many great works. His dynamic use of figurative language, color symbols, and illusions truly bring out a state of mind that he has not expressed in any of his other