The Raven Mood

653 Words3 Pages

Through the use of literary devices, writers of various genres can construct a unique piece of work. Edgar Allan Poe uses several in his poem, “The Raven,” to establish a desired mood and mentality. The narrator of the poem is visited by a Raven while he attempts to erase the memories of his late lover. Poe’s symbolism and word choice in “The Raven” inform the reader about the narrator’s internal conflict over forgetting his lost love. Throughout the poem, Poe references several symbols to develop the narrator’s emotions. A main focus point concerning the Raven is it’s location in the room. When the Raven first flies into the home, it perches “upon a bust of Pallas just above [the narrator’s] chamber door” (Poe 42). The statue of Athena, also …show more content…

The poem takes place on a “midnight dreary” while the narrator feels “weak and weary” (Poe 1). The setting adds to the overall mood of poem by creating a somber atmosphere. The “dying embers” of the fire add to the depressing aura and represent the narrator’s dying spirit (Poe 8). He has lost his passion in life and does not know how to continue living without Lenore. He hopes to end the pain and “eagerly wished the morrow” (Poe 9). Memories of Lenore haunt the room, and he longs for a way to forget them. During the day, the narrator can ignore his emotions and attempt to live his life normally, however, when nighttime arrives, he cannot escape the thoughts tormenting his mind. Furthermore, after the narrator hears a strange tapping noise on his door, his initial fear “presently...grew stronger” and he answers the door (Poe 19). The man is dumbfounded when he discovers nothing but darkness and grows fearful of what looms in the shadows. Later, when the Raven enters his room, he grows restless over why the bird is perched in his home. He says, “other friends have flown here before” and assures himself the bird will disappear by tomorrow, thus leaving him as desperate as ever (Poe 58). Poe’s use of specific words adds to the narrator’s despair of Lenore and advances the reader’s understanding of his eternal