Philosophies Of The Raven Research Paper

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.

Edgar Allen Poe, although considered an outstanding author and poet, struggled with pain and death which he had endured throughout his lifetime. These experiences are reflected in his writings. For instance, “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” which are both independent stories of Poe with distinct storylines shared a few commonalities. This includes the presence of death, the literary use of repetition and a late-night setting. In “The Raven”, the narrator has lost his wife and is desperate to reunite with her. When the raven first appears on top of his door, he hopes that it has come to bring him back his Lenore or to take him to her. The death of his loved one, Lenore, within the short poem leaves the narrator in a desperate and melancholy state. It reaches the point where he begins to grow frustrated when the bird doesn’t answer his questions about his deceased lover. In the text, it says “From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore.” This quote shows the aftermath and effects of death especially when it leaves you without a loved one. Similarly, in “The Tell-Tale Heart”, a life is also taken away. In the short story, the narrator seeks to commit murder to free himself of the old man’s “evil vulture eye.” He describes it as, “the eye of a vulture- a pale blue eye, with a film over it” and while it is not specific whether the man was simply blind or had a fake eye, the narrator was paranoid. His paranoia drove him mad although he claimed not to be and

Edgar Allan poe is one of the most incredible gothic writers, with a library of many famous works. He is famous for his dark and ominous way of narrating, as well as his brutal and obscure endings to his tales. Arguably his most famous works are the poem entitled “The Raven” published January 29th 1845, and his short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” published a few years earlier on January 1843. Both of these pieces of literature pulled the listener directly into Poe's mysterious world, with suspense and intensity in every line. “The Raven” and “The Tale-Heart’ written by Edgar Allan Poe both develop the gothic theme of madness by using dark imagery, similar symbolism, and torment.

The entire poem including the first stanza, as scanned here, is octametre with mostly trochaic feet and some iams. The use of a longer line enables the poem to be more of a narration of the evening's events. Also, it enables Poe to use internal rhymes as shown in bold. The internal rhyme occurs in the first and third lines of each stanza. As one reads the poem you begin to expect the next rhyme pushing you along. The external rhyme of the "or" sound in Lenore and nevermore at then end of each stanza imitates the haunting nature of the narrator's thoughts. The internal rhyme along with the same external rhyme repeated at the end of each stanza and other literary devices such as alliteration and assonance and

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.

In the poem, “The Raven,” a raven flies into the narrator’s room, giving hope to the narrator that he will soon see his lost love, Lenore, again. However, it is hard for the narrator to find trust in the raven, as the raven’s “eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming” (104). As demons are generally associated with evil and cruelty, the comparison of the raven’s eyes with a demon’s eye suggests the devious nature of the raven. Being compared to a demon could foreshadow that the raven’s intentions are immoral. Likewise, in “The Tell-Tale Heart,” a man whose eye “resembled that of a vulture” (1). The eye is compared to a vulture’s because the narrator believes it is evil; additionally, vultures usually correspond with sins and dishonorable actions. The analogy creates more suspense for the reader as the narrator slowly loses his sanity and goes mad because of the old man’s eye’s similarity to a vulture’s eye. Another example from “The Tell-Tale Heart” is when the narrator sneaks into the old man’s room. His plan is to kill the man, so he was extremely cautious; a “watch’s minute hand moved more quickly” than his (2). Poe compares the slow-paced movements of the narrator to that of a watch’s hand. The narrator’s unhurried motion creates tension as it shows how careful and deceitful the narrator is being. The

“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

One of the many reasons Poe is still famous today is his unusual topic choices for his writing. He chose to write about such morbid subjects that usually we would not prefer to write about. One of his writings,”The Tell-Tale Heart,” describes a murder told from the killer’s point of view. Since it’s the murderer’s point of view, the reader

Edgar Allen Poe was the author of several daunting works of literature. Two examples of Edgar Allen Poe's literature are "The Tell Tale Heart" and "The Raven." If we compare these two works, one a short story and the other a poem, we will see that Poe shows great mastery of symbolism, as well as other forms of literary technique. In these two stories, many people would say that Poe uses the tales to reflect the way he perceives life in general. Poe makes obvious use of symbolism, metaphors and imagery within these two works of literature.

In Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Tell-Tale Heart," the author combines vivid symbolism with subtle irony. Although the story runs only four pages, within those few pages many examples of symbolism and irony abound. In short, the symbolism and irony lead to an enormously improved story as compared to a story with the same plot but with these two elements missing.

Throughout all the short stories and poems wrote by Edgar Allan Poe, some connections can be made on the content. The Black Cat, and The Raven, are two narratives wrote by Poe, that unveil the themes and symbols he often uses in his work. Poe is on the mysterious side, but he is also taking the life he is given, and making his narratives raw and realist by some degree. Poe uses techniques that left him express his imagination through writing. There are many different ideas and questions rising from all his work. The Black Cat and The Raven, are two narratives that use similar themes and symbols that allow readers to receive a small connection of the madness inside of the narrators.

The Raven was a very confusing poem to read. I had to really decipher each line to completely understand what it was about. I still don’t fully understand the poem but I have a good idea about what the message of the story is. The poem takes place on a dark night in December. The main character is an unnamed man who is sitting in his home.

“The Raven” represents Poe’s confidence that the artistic feeling of a poem is an end to itself. Poe used several symbols to take the poem to a higher level. The raven was the most recognizable symbol throughout the poem. When Poe had decided to use a refrain that repeated the word "nevermore," he found that it would be most effective if he used a non-reasoning creature to utter the word. In 'The Raven' the symbol is obvious. Poe himself meant the Raven to symbolize 'mournful, never-ending remembrance.' Our narrator's sorrow for his lost, perfect maiden Lenore is the driving force behind his conversation with the Raven. In turn, the Raven, even through his limited vocabulary, forces the narrator to face the reality that Lenore will return 'nevermore,' a fact that the narrator does not want to acknowledge. As a result, by the poem's conclusion the Raven has the eyes 'of a demon's' and its shadow hangs over the narrator's soul. For the poem's speaker, the Raven has moved beyond mournful, never-ending remembrance to an embodiment of evil. In speaking of “The Raven,” Poe declared that an intended undercurrent of meaning first becomes apparent in the metaphorical “Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!/ Quoth the Raven ‘Nevermore!’” The raven thus becomes “emblematical of Mournful and Never-Ending Remembrance.” The undeniable power of “The Raven” comes from the inexplicable, overwhelming sorrow at the heart of the poem, conveyed through the

Literary Analysis of The Raven The raven is a poem written by Edgar Allen Poe that is full of literary devices and symbolism. As we discussed in class, this poem has a lot of relatable traits to the reader. We see traits of sorrow, death, regret, guilt, madness, and grief. I will be analyzing and explaining this poem as we uncover theories and debates about what the poem and raven could represent to the reader.

In 1845, “The Raven,” by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, is “ the most famous poem in American literature” (Peeples). Poe today is known “as a major literary figure, a master of Gothic atmosphere and interior monologue.” He went through much in his lifetime, witnessed the death and sickness of many loved ones. Also, he was rejected by both his father and stepfather and lost many jobs for obsessive drinking causing the development of various phobias and paranoia. Poe’s works show a clear resemblance to his life and the experiences that Poe possesses (Napierkowski and Ruby 201). “‘The Raven’ has come to more or less define Poe’s image in popular culture” (Peeples). Poe's poem, “The Raven” exhibits the theme of nature representing discomfort and loneliness while emphasizing death and the supernatural world.