Symbolism In Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven

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Symbolism in "The Raven"
Symbolism is the use of an object that represents something else. There are many different symbols in Poe's "The Raven". The expression "Night's Plutonian Shore" interprets all the bad demeanor surrounding death. Pluto is the Roman Lord or God of the underworld, his shore would be the underworld. Associated with the "night" a frequent symbol for death and nothingness. Poe also mentions "The Bust of Pallas", Pallas or Athena was the Greek Goddess of wisdom. The raven is known for is wisdom and intelligence which may be its most redeeming quality and could be why the raven stood perched on the "Bust of Pallas" may be ironic. Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" has many different symbols and lots of symbolism, but the most prominent symbol is the raven its self.
There are many other symbols in Poe's "The Raven" most of which have to do with death, the raven is the most prominent representation. One interpretation of why Poe chose the animal raven instead of a different animal is because the raven might be a symbol about the inability for a man to escape his fate which is a reoccurring …show more content…
Before the age of three Poe's mother had died. His mother died of tuberculosis and his fathers left the family in the early life of Poe (Edgar Allan Poe Biography). Poe was still very young when he met his fiancée, Elmira Royster. When Poe returned to Richmond after leaving the University of Virginia he found out that she had became engaged to another man. Poe's foster mother, Frances Allan was dying of tuberculosis like his mother. By the time Poe got to Richmond, Frances had already been buried. When Poe was the age of twenty-seven he married Virginia, who was not yet fourteen. After a couple of years in a happy marriage Virginia too got sick with tuberculosis and died (Poe's Life). All of these deaths have resulted in lots of times going through the grief
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