Meaning of Edgar Allan Poes The Raven Essay - 1297 Words

Edgar Allan Poes The Raven employs a raven itself as a symbol of the torture, mainly the self-inflicted torture, of the narrator over his lost love, Lenore. The raven, it can be argued, is possibly a figment of the imagination of the narrator, obviously distraught over the death of Lenore. The narrator claims in the first stanza that he is weak and weary (731). He is almost napping as he hears the rapping at the door, which could quite possibly make the sound something he heard in a near dream-like state, not an actual sound. He is terrified of being alone in the chamber he is in when the poem takes place. The sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain thrilled me-filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before†¦show more content†¦The raven also symbolizes the torture the narrator has inflicted upon himself due to the death of Lenore, a rare and radiant maiden?nameless here forever more (731). The ravens refusal to answer any question asked of him with an answer other than nevermore only tortures the narrator even more. The narrator is as much saddened by the arrival of the raven, as he is disturbed. He says, on the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before (732). He is still recovering from the sadness of the loss of Lenore and in this raven he may find comfort for a while, but the raven will only be gone in the morning, just like everything else. The narrator can anticipate the answers of the raven, knowing that the only word it speaks is nevermore, and tortures himself even more by asking certain questions to which the answer nevermore would devastate him. He asks if there is balm in Gilead. He even goes so far as to ask the raven if Lenore is in Paradise-within the distant Aidenn, it shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore- (733). The answer nevermore sends the narrator into a rage. He calls the raven a prophet, but cannot place if it is a prophet of evil or of good. The narrator mentions that the raven lands on a bust of Pallas-Pallas Athena-who, according to Roman and Greek myth, was the goddess of wisdom. The narrator can consider that a Freudian slip of sorts; that the raven speaks the truth because itShow MoreRelatedEdgar Allan Poe s The Raven788 Words   |  4 Pages Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most successful writers of all time. Twelve of Poe’s works are known for their literary construction. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most famous poems in history and was first published in 1845. This is a poem that many readers may describe as dark, twisted, and even scary can be oddly moving and eye catching. What were the meanings in his masterpiece, and what did Poe want his readers to understand? 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