The Minister's Black Veil, 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.

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 Raven can be considered a gothic poem because it has many elements that distinguish it as such. It begins "Once upon a midnight dreary..." , hence evoking the feature of darkness and night. The narrator is roused from his sleepy state by a rapping on the door, which begins to terrify him because he is wishing for Lenore, but finds nothing instead ( or rather the raven). This scene then contains the typical gothic elements of mystery, ghosts and the supernatural in the references to "silence unbroken" and "no mortals ever dared to dream before" , and terror as he refers to his beating heart.

“Nevermore,” the infamous word that directly connects you to a well-known poem by Edgar Allan Poe. “The Raven” is a literary work that has gone down in ages as being a timeless classic that transcends your senses as you dive into this sinister tale. Poe had a life of hardships but still was able to prevail in life becoming a great writer writing many poems and stories that are mysterious and prevalent today. “The Raven” has many displaced factors that make it seem as though Poe is truly referencing his life throughout the work. The poem takes you through many different feelings as you dwell on the meanings that the text could have. “The Raven” was written in 1845 close to the time his wife Virginia Clemm was being treated for tuberculosis. This infamous poem seems to be closely related to his current life and the feelings that he was having towards his wife.

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil" embodies the hidden sins that we all hide and that in turn distance us from the ones we love most. Reverend Hooper dons a black veil throughout this story, and never takes it off. He has discerned in everyone a dark, hidden self of secret sin. In wearing the veil Hooper dramatizes the isolation that each person experiences when they are chained down by their own sinful deeds. He has realizes that symbolically everyone can be found in the shadow of their own dark veil. Hooper in wearing this shroud across his face is only amplifying the dark side of people and the truth of human existence and nature.

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

Poe also uses repetition to accentuate the musical quality of “The Raven”. Obviously, the repeating of the word “nevermore” is used throughout the work not only to convey a sense of musicality, but to suggest the melancholy theme of this piece due to the connotations that the word expresses (lines 48, 54, 60, 72, etc.). Poe also uses repetition in other sections of the poem. In lines 16 and 17, we read “’Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; - Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;” In these lines, we get the impression that the speaker is trying to reassure himself that there is no sinister force at work, but simply a visitor at his door. Edgar Allen Poe was extremely talented at choosing words which not only support the fluidity of the work while also reinforcing the tone.

The Raven, perhaps Edgar Allen Poe’s most successful and popular piece, tells the story of a lonely man’s interactions with a raven. The man, who is most likely Poe, is missing his wife, LenoreIn the poem The Raven, Edgar Allen Poe uses repetition, personification, and juxtaposition to progress the plot and increase the overall effectiveness of the poem.

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.

The story “The Minister’s Black Veil” is symbolic of the hidden sins that we hide and separate ourselves from the ones we love most. In wearing the veil Hooper presents the isolation that everybody experiences when they are chained down by their own sins. He has realized that everybody symbolically can be found in the shadow of their own veil. By Hooper wearing this shroud across his face is only showing the dark side of people and the truth of human existence and nature.

Although these two pieces of writing may not have been his most successful books, his works prevailed after his death in 1849 and he became one of the most accredited authors in American history. One of his most popular pieces was a poem named The Raven, and a fiction book called The Black Cat. The Raven is a story of how a man communicates with a bird that he believes may be linked to his long lost wife, Leonore. This story holds so much mystery and suspense within it, if you lose focus for even a moment you will find yourself lost. Poe was one of the first writers to introduce the detective and horror genre of writing. Never before had people read pieces that brought them so much mystery and fulfillment, yet there often is not a clear ending to Poe's pieces, what happens in the end is open to interpretation for the reader to

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.

Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most well-known gothic writers around. He has written many form of writing from poems to short stories. One of his most famous narrative poems is “The Raven.” There are many reasons to read the “The Raven.” One reason to read the poem is because it is a classic. Secondly, reading “The Raven” can give sight to Poe’s thoughts and feelings towards his life. Thirdly, the poem is a good example of the mind set of someone who has faced a loss. Another reason would be that the poem can represent trochaic octameter form. It can also represent narrative poem form. Of these reasons, the most important one is that it is a poetic classic.

“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe is a story of a young adult who has lost the woman he was in love with and is struggling cope. The story-teller compulsorily builds self-destructive understanding of his mourning in a raven’s constant 'Nevermore ' reminder to him, until he eventually gives up about being reconnected with Lenore in the new world.