Literary Devices In Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven

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 rhyme scheme and musicality is a big influence on the poetic structure that contributes to the pathos. The chosen language used is a also a contributor to the pathos based writing in this poem. Because “The Raven” is a poem and not a complete piece of writing, the use of pathos is used to connect. Poe wanted this piece to be viewed as very dynamic and forthright, which is the way his language was portrayed in his work. He did not his work to be left to interpretation, he wanted his language to reflect his true meaning and feeling. Readers can gain a better understanding behind his words, and that creates the understanding of what the poem is about; allowing a deeper connection to be formed. This piece is almost song-like, as words are connected rhymingly, allowing the piece and the audience to meld into more than just a story. It also appeals on a bigger scale because of this structure of rhymes and it’s very continuous flow of words. Giving this poem more attention for the reason that it can be enjoyed for its poetic scheme alone and doesn’t need to lure in the sense of literature. This piece appeals to readers due to its emotionally driven story. The reader can relate to the emotions of the story that Poe is portraying. From the loss of Lenore, to the madness and insanity the man faces from this loss. A

Creating the Melancholic Tone in “The Raven” Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Raven," representing Poe’s own introverted crisis of hell, is unusually moving and attractive to the reader. In his essay entitled "The Philosophy of Composition," Poe reveals his purpose in writing “The Raven” and also describes the work of composing the poem as being carefully calculated in all aspects. Of all melancholy topics, Poe wished to use the one that was universally understood, death; specifically death involving a beautiful woman. The apparent tone in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” seemingly represents a very painful condition of mind, an intellect sensitive to madness and the abyss of melancholy brought upon by the death of a

The nineteenth century poet Edgar Allen Poe makes use of several literary devices in order to create a gloomy atmosphere in his poem “The Raven”. Alliteration, rhyme, onomatopoeia, assonance, and repetition are used to contribute to the melodic nature of the work and provide an almost “visual” representation of his gothic setting. Poe is a master of using these writing techniques. “The Raven” is one of his most popular works. This is certainly due, in part to his use of these literary devices in this piece.

I chose Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” for my poem. In the poem there is a gloomy tone set for the entirety of the poem. How does Poe do that? What poetic devices does Poe use? Poe is well known poet that has many poems that are set in this type of mood. I do believe this one is different than the rest. Poe uses the raven as a symbol of weariness. I would argue Poe had a lot of demons at the time of this poem that he was fighting, and the raven itself, Poe speaks about in the “The Philosophy of Composition”, is meant to symbolize Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. Poe is using the raven to symbolize the loss of many loved ones that Poe had to endure. Poe immediately sets the tone of the poem by writing in the very first line “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary...” he is describing the night as dull and depressing by the word choice he uses. The narrator of “The Raven” is dealing with the death of his wife, Lenore, and is constantly trying to forget his lost love as Poe shows:

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.

Grief is one emotion that everyone is familiar with. One of the reasons why people grieve is because it is a reaction to the loss of a loved one, a family member, or a close friend, however, everyone deals with grief differently. When a person is grieving he/she goes through five stages: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It can take very long for someone to reach acceptance. Sometimes, people don’t go through all five of the stages. There is one man who practically wrote the definition of grief, Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar Allan Poe wrote a substantial amount of poems, and a majority of them have to do with the death of a young woman and their loved ones left behind. What makes Edgar Allan Poe’s writing so significant is that the men grieving usually fall into madness. “The Raven” is dark, depressing, and sends off an eerie vibe. Poe wrote a poem of this nature because, like most writers, he wrote what he was feeling.

Through the use of an un-named narrator in his poem entitled “The Raven”, Poe darkly conveys feeling understood by many: hopelessness, lost love, and death. The poem follows the un-named narrator, as he reflects on, as well as struggles with, the realization of his lost love, Lenore. Like many, he tries to detract his overwhelming feelings for Lenore by investing his time in studying books. Despite his greatest efforts, he is unsuccessful. Much to his surprise, his solitude is interrupted by an unanticipated visitor. Throughout the poem, Poe uses imagery, tone, symbolism, and rhyme as a means of conveying his overall themes of undying devotion and lingering grief.

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.

Lenore’s absence also furthers to another absence that mimics the human’s incapability to know and understand what is happening (Freedman). Along with darkness, Poe uses a vivid language to achieve his single effect. Poe arranges time, place, and other details rapidly and clearly. He chooses each word carefully and requires that its meaning relates to the poem as a whole. Stanza 2 enhances and distinguishes the vivid effect Poe has already made (“Edgar Allan Poe” 52). “The Raven” is narrated from a first person tone which has a tone in the language of sorrow, weariness, and self-destructive thinking (Edwards). The contradictions of the poem and also the reflections that haunt the speaker are mostly unavoidable circumstances of the language that Poe chooses. Poe uses phrases such as “dying embers,” “Midnight dreary,” and “in bleak December” to agonize and satiate the reader’s view of the setting. These carefully chosen words assume intriguing and fascinating shapes and forms in the poem. These opening pictures help draw the readers into the speaker’s deteriorating mind. The tone of the poem is appropriate and well chosen for the subject, and the rhythm is also exquisite. Poe, with this tone and rhythm, uses wild but also tender melancholy in his lines. Mr. Willis claims “It is the most effective single example of fugitive poetry ever published in this country, and unsurpassed in English poetry for subtle conception, masterly ingenuity of versification,

In “The Raven”, by Edgar Allan Poe, he uses many different types of imagery. Imagery represents different of a sensory. Two of the type of sensory he used throughout the poem is authority which is hearing, and visual imagery which something is seen in the poem. Edgar Allan Poe used imagery to let the reader feel emotion and to feel like they are literally in the poem.

Alliteration is another literary device which is used throughout “The Raven”. Alliteration is the repetition of beginning consonant sounds. “The Raven” is full of examples of alliteration. An instance of this device is seen in line 26, in which the “d” sound is repeated: “Doubting, dreaming

The poem I picked is The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. I found many forms of figurative language in this poem but I will be talking about three different types. I will be talking about rhyme, personification, as well as metaphors. The theme of this poem is death. About the sorrow, pain, worry,and just everything that goes along with the death of someone you love. The tone of this poem is melancholic which means great sadness or even depression.

Dark romantic writers explores the evil sides of humanity, such as Edgar Allan Poe, when he exposes readers to the dangers of loss and isolation. One midnight when the narrator was reminiscing over his lost Lenore, a raven flew in his window and confronted him. He loses himself and reality the more he talks with the raven, as he longs to see his lost love, Lenore. In stanza fourteen of “The Raven,” Poe uses several allusions and imagery to show the narrator’s growing mental instability and paranoia due to living in solitude and his never ending love for the missed Lenore.     Poe uses imagery to identify the point when the narrator starts going crazy.

“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