In “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator tries various methods of escapism to avoid the pain of living which reflect his personal experiences. In both “The Raven” and in Poe’s life, it tells their journey through escapism, the ways they tried to escape, and what they realize in the end. In “The Raven” it tells how they tried to escape through drugs and material goods, but in the end realize facing reality is there only option. In Poe’s life he experienced many losses through deaths and career options. He tried to deal with these through alcohol and drugs. In both situations there are parallels that can be drawn in Poe’s life and in “The Raven”. Both try to escape their real lives in horrible ways, but in the end realize that there is
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As a child, his biological father abandoned him, his siblings, and his mother when she became ill. Throughout Poe’s life he also lost his mother, foster mother, and wife to tuberculosis. His wife died in a more slow, painful way. She would get better and then get worse again. Since Poe’s wife would get better and then worse again, he blames himself for not having enough money to save her. “The Raven” was written as his wife died. Even though Poe was allergic to alcohol, he drank to avoid the harsh reality that his wife had died and it was his fault that he could not provide for her. His drinking often sabotaged job opportunities. Poe also played cards to pay off debt he had worked up. Without a job and great amounts of debt, Poe was unable to pay for college. Poe’s rich foster father would not give him the money he needed and asked for. Poe died a mysterious death when he was one day found in a gutter. Most seem to think it was an election scandal. Before Poe died, he realizes that drinking won't alleviate his issues and he needs to face …show more content…
In the poem, the narrator is saying that there were goods that people believed could comfort them. In the poem they say, “wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird” and, “velvet violet lining”. Through this, the narrator is saying he was ready to face death with comfort. Afraid to face the reality, material goods blocked out it out. People also believed substances could help them to escape. The poem says, “respite--respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore”. This was an herbal drug to help them forget because they were afraid the problems in front of them so used substances to block it out. In “The Raven” they say, “presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer”. Now after attempting every form of escapism, they realize the best way to get stronger and prepare for an adventure is to face the reality and let go of their fears.
The various methods of escapism used in “The Raven” can be direct parallels to Poe’s life. The narrator shares different ways of trying to escape, and Poe tried all of those ways. Poe resorted to drinking when his wife was sick. Poe resorted to material goods when he tried to get more money from his foster father. In all the ways of escapism, along the way you are only hurting yourself. After trying all the wrong ways of how to avoid and fix the problem at hand, they realize the only way to solve
As a child, his biological father abandoned him, his siblings, and his mother when she became ill. Throughout Poe’s life he also lost his mother, foster mother, and wife to tuberculosis. His wife died in a more slow, painful way. She would get better and then get worse again. Since Poe’s wife would get better and then worse again, he blames himself for not having enough money to save her. “The Raven” was written as his wife died. Even though Poe was allergic to alcohol, he drank to avoid the harsh reality that his wife had died and it was his fault that he could not provide for her. His drinking often sabotaged job opportunities. Poe also played cards to pay off debt he had worked up. Without a job and great amounts of debt, Poe was unable to pay for college. Poe’s rich foster father would not give him the money he needed and asked for. Poe died a mysterious death when he was one day found in a gutter. Most seem to think it was an election scandal. Before Poe died, he realizes that drinking won't alleviate his issues and he needs to face …show more content…
In the poem, the narrator is saying that there were goods that people believed could comfort them. In the poem they say, “wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird” and, “velvet violet lining”. Through this, the narrator is saying he was ready to face death with comfort. Afraid to face the reality, material goods blocked out it out. People also believed substances could help them to escape. The poem says, “respite--respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore”. This was an herbal drug to help them forget because they were afraid the problems in front of them so used substances to block it out. In “The Raven” they say, “presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer”. Now after attempting every form of escapism, they realize the best way to get stronger and prepare for an adventure is to face the reality and let go of their fears.
The various methods of escapism used in “The Raven” can be direct parallels to Poe’s life. The narrator shares different ways of trying to escape, and Poe tried all of those ways. Poe resorted to drinking when his wife was sick. Poe resorted to material goods when he tried to get more money from his foster father. In all the ways of escapism, along the way you are only hurting yourself. After trying all the wrong ways of how to avoid and fix the problem at hand, they realize the only way to solve