March 17, 2015
Mr. Kelly
5th hour
The Raven Essay Many people, when finished reading The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe, are often left in a darker, depressing mood. The Raven is an amazing poem that really can make people feel the deep emotion behind it. This poem also has a very different style from the writing in the American Romanticism period, because of it’s theme, mood and personal experience. The theme of The Raven is death, pain, and sorrow. Poe is heartbroken and in a lot of pain because his dearly loved wife, Lenore, has passed away. In some cultures, the “Raven” is an omen of death, sometimes it is an actual death. Poe is constantly thinking of his lost Lenore. He is excited, scared and grieving. He wants to die, but at the same time is scared to die. The speaker becomes more and more irrational as the poem continues. Knowing that no matter what Poe asks the Raven, the answer is always "nevermore." Poe sits in his chamber day dreaming of what it would be like for death to come and take away his grief by ending his life, and how it would feel to “nevermore” grieve Lenore. The author of The Raven uses rhyming, repetition and alliteration to bring out the mood of the poem. The setting of the candle lit chamber and the grief that he feels, prepares the reader to be frightened as the raven flies into the man’s room. There is also a very ominous feeling throughout this poem, especially when someone knocks on the man’s chamber door. He is very weak due to