Symbolism In After Death By Edgar Allen 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 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

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.

In some ways, "The Raven" shows Poe at his greatest image-making power, in which part of his life serves as a blueprint. His perfect illustration of the prison-like environment, on top of the inner turmoil of the narrator, creates a detailed, terrifying picture for the reader. At first glance, it is easy to see that Poe wrote this poem in reference to someone he truly loved. The problem is to know exactly who that person, Lenore, is, because without having that information, it would be impossible to understand the four points Poe is trying to make.

“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

A prophet is a proclaimer of God’s will, sees what is coming before those who he proclaims it to, representing sight, while the raven is dark and mysterious being a symbol of death (“The Raven” 286). Other uses of symbolism in the poem include Poe’s reference of the goddess Pallas and use of archaic words symbolizing the past and how the narrator is stuck in the past (Silverman 240). The narrator is trapped in a time where he believes he will be with Lenore again. The raven being perched on the bust of the goddess Pallas is also a symbol of the narrator’s belief that the raven is speaking a truthful and wise answer, for the Pallas is the goddess of wisdom, even though the raven cannot have thought provoked answers (Hallqvist).

Edgar Allan Poe tells the story of a bereaved man who is grieving for his lost love in the poem, “The Raven.” During a dark and gloomy night, the man hears a knock at his door. Hoping that it is Lenore, his dead lover, coming back to him, he goes to open the door. Unfortunately, he is only met with emptiness and disappointment. Shortly after, a raven flies into the room through the window and lands on the bust of Pallas. The man begins to converse with this dark and mysterious bird. In response to everything the man says, the raven repeats one dreadful word: “Nevermore.” The symbolism of the raven being connected to death, and the man’s interaction with the dark bird reveals to readers that he is going through the stages of dying.

No two human conditions are more universal than loving and mourning after one’s death. In his poem “The Raven,” Edgar Allan Poe combines these emotions together to tell the tale of a man whose lover, Lenore, died. As he weeps one winter night, he hears sounds at his doorstep. While the man tries to find the source of this noise, a raven flies into his chamber, and thus begins their strange encounter. With vivid figurative language and precise word choice in the seventeenth stanza, Poe conveys the immense difficulty, anger, and insanity-evoking process with which the man attempts to forget his lover.

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.

Unlike “Annabel Lee,” “The Raven” tells of “a lost love and the narrator’s inability, or unwillingness, to shed his romantic melancholia” (Magistrale 40). The narrator of “The Raven” holds on to his grief and sees death as a barrier “currently separating [him] from the lost Lenore” (Magistrale 46). The reader then begins to also see death as barrier and can feel the same sadness that the narrator himself is feeling. The bird brings about mixed feelings within the narrator.

Therefore the raven represents mournful or sorrow, and never ending remembrance. When the narrator hears the noise at the window and goes to open the window and the raven comes in, the raven almost gets him to smile with making him feel the remembrance of his sweet loved one Lenore. You can see this in the poem when he says “bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling”(line 43). Once he saw the raven fly in and perch on the door, he thought of

One night, as he tried to distract himself by reading in his room, a raven appeared that can only utter one word, “Nevermore.” As his reason gets muddled by his grief, he saw the raven as an omen and associated it with Lenore, by asking it questions pertaining to her. The poem makes use of symbolisms and contains elements of the supernatural while still written in a language that is prosaic during Poe’s time so as to invoke feelings of suspenseful pleasure

In the poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”, by Emily Dickinson and “Home Burial”, by Robert Frost, literary elements are used throughout both poems to get the message the authors are trying to portray. One main important literary element that is used to entice the reader, is symbolism, because it helps the authors describe something without actual describing it. Symbolism is also used because it shows how significant an object is. Characterization is also an important literary technique because it, gives the reader an idea on how the character would act, work, and their values in life. Death is a topic that is used in both poems. Also, every character express their opinion about death differently.

“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