Diction In The Raven

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There are a plethora of dangers that constantly threaten humanity’s well being. Dark romanticism examines these menacing threats by analyzing the sinister and evil qualities found within humans. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” depicts the insanity and madness of man who is trying to forget about the loss of his wife, Lenore. Throughout the poem, the narrator is constantly being mentally tormented by a raven that does nothing except for saying one word, nevermore. By incorporating dark diction and revealing the narrator’s grief in the fifth stanza, Poe conveys the narrator’s growing hopelessness and despair.
The descriptive group of words that convey a frightening and dark mood in the fifth stanza immensely helps the author reveal the speaker’s despondent life. A distinguished example of the dark diction …show more content…
The narrator explains the surprise by stating “Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,/Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;” (Poe 25-26). Words such as “deep”, “darkness”, “wondering”, and “fearing” all create a scary mood within the plot because they express horror and danger. The narrator’s loneliness clearly causes him to lose all hope and give up on his feeble life. He is so mentally distraught that even the natural darkness from the night aggravates and frightens him. By exaggerating the despair in the situation, the narrator creates more internal insecurity for himself, thus increasing the fear in his mind. Additionally, Poe also uses dark diction after the speaker opens the door. After being petrified by what he sees, the narrator reports on what he hears by saying “But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,” (27). The speaker uses

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