Diction In The Raven

The dated poem “The Raven” has one of the darkest outlooks on life in American poetry and shows that the author is undergoing or a deep depression in his or her life. The poem’s two characters, the raven and the speaker, each exhibit parallel characteristics, while both remaining one another’s foils. Indeed, “The Raven’s” use of diction, physical parallel structure, tone, repetition, tension between characters, the poem’s deployment of exclamation marks, as well as its prosody and conclusion illuminate the poet’s theme relating to the never-ending pain of loss.
The poem illustrates its theme of pain through its diction and depressive language in all of its stanzas. Specifically, the first stanza sets itself apart, establishing a depressive …show more content…
Readers see that the poem’s structure reflects a consistent, dwelling message, one that is pervasive throughout the text’s entirety. Chiefly, this message is displayed structurally through its line length diversity. The poem’s line length, each a mix exactly of a longer sentence than a shorter sentence, then a longer sentence, and so on, reflects that the author drifts from one thought then to another, only to return to the same thought again. This shift in structure only represents one revelation: that the poet drifts from one subject to the next in attempt to contend and deal with his emotions, but after all his attempts, the speaker cannot contain or eliminate the depressive emotions he feels. Certainly, readers should intrinsically consider the poem’s structure when reviewing it and its meaning. The poem’s organization has a lot to do with how readers should interpret its meaning. Concerning its structure, the poem has within it an external structure that appears to connote a consistent meaning to it. The poem’s lines ebb and flow, like tides unsure of where they are traveling. Even with the poem’s parallel structure, though, readers should also recognize that without tone, the poem’s theme falls