the raven

A detailed Summary of the raven


Few American authors have obtained the level of popularity that Edgar Allen Poe has risen to. This popularity and his trademark macabre writing style have made some of his literary works such as The Raven a long-time classic in literature. This work in particular, exhibits some characteristics of folklore. Folklore has long been associated with oral passage, custom-related themes and unknown authors; however, I believe that there are exceptions to the typical definition and that almost all literary works, old and new, have at least a trace element of folklore contained within them.

The Raven is a poem that, which at first glance depicts a man reading a book (about "forgotten lore") in his bedroom late at night that seems to be on the edge of sanity. After a series of tappings at his bedroom door he later finds a bird perched above his door. He asks the bird several questions, all of which are answered with, "nevermore." After reading the poem carefully it is apparent that the man is mourning over his beloved Lenore. The man believes the raven will end his sorrow, "respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore." (Nepenthe is a reference from The Odyssey of a drug that prevents grief) In the end the bird ends


Color is a symbolic part of the poem. There are several references made to the color black, which is tied customarily to funeral attire, evil, death, and the over-all fear of the night. There is one particular reference made to a dirge, which implants dark images in the reader's mind. The black raven, which is part of the evil and dark motif in the poem, robs the man of his soul on a late bleak December night. Late bleak December is synonymous with frigid cold, pain, depression, and an overall lack of color. This (late bleak December) is a description of the inhospitable climate in which the misery associated with the raven thrives. The use of color is powerful throughout the poem and could lead to a tremendous amount of interpretation.

There are several superstitious references throughout the poem, the first and most obvious is the raven. The raven can also be classified as a myth or legend - the taker of souls and deliverer of death. The raven has long been associated with both evil and death. Why would Poe choose a raven as the messenger of nevermore? I believe the bird was chosen because of its ability to fly and ascend into the heavens and its legendary status as a "soul taker." Poe writes

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 826
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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