Close Reading: The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. It was published in January 1845. The poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. The raven’s appearance is an imaginary occurrence because the speaker of this poem was going insane and was he actually was never fully aware what was going on around him. This is indicated through the speaker’s depression. He had a sense of loss at his love-Lenore, appearing as this raven was telling him that he will never move on. By the time, he was communicating with the raven, the speaker was very tired and he was about to fall asleep. He was in a deep depression throughout the whole poem. The speaker …show more content…
He was in his bedroom, reading books and dozing off. In the first three stanzas, the author had a feeling that someone wants to visit him as he was hearing a strange knock at the door. Then, the author compares every rapping and rustle with the ghost of her love – Lenore. In the 4th to 6th stanzas, the speaker opens the door but what he found was “darkness and nothing more” (4) In the stanzas 7 to 9, the speaker opens the window and the raven flies in and sits on top of the speaker`s “bust of Pallas” (7) As the author was so tired he could have been confused when the raven visited him. Moreover, he can be disoriented because he was in depression for his lost love, Lenore. The speaker is still in the grieving process, and he is weak especially because of that. He had stated that his trying to move on and forget about Lenore was unsuccessful. Imagining the raven and its speaking of the word “nevermore” is likely a word that represents the speaker’s understanding that he will never be able to move on. The only word the raven spoke was “nevermore”. In stanzas 10-12, the speaker was trying to figure out why the raven was always “saying” “nevermore”. He even thought that the bird`s name was “nevermore”. This whole experience is based on a deep hallucination of the speaker. In stanzas 13-15, when he was in a conversation with the raven, he described an event where he could smell and see Lenore as an angel. That event seems very unusual and it is a result of his positive memories he has of Lenore. In the poem he says, “Then [methought], the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer: Swung by seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor…” “… By these angles he hath sent.” (14) These lines can mean that he sees and smells Lenore as an angel and this is sure
"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. It was published in January 1845. The poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. The raven’s appearance is an imaginary occurrence because the speaker of this poem was going insane and was he actually was never fully aware what was going on around him. This is indicated through the speaker’s depression. He had a sense of loss at his love-Lenore, appearing as this raven was telling him that he will never move on. By the time, he was communicating with the raven, the speaker was very tired and he was about to fall asleep. He was in a deep depression throughout the whole poem. The speaker …show more content…
He was in his bedroom, reading books and dozing off. In the first three stanzas, the author had a feeling that someone wants to visit him as he was hearing a strange knock at the door. Then, the author compares every rapping and rustle with the ghost of her love – Lenore. In the 4th to 6th stanzas, the speaker opens the door but what he found was “darkness and nothing more” (4) In the stanzas 7 to 9, the speaker opens the window and the raven flies in and sits on top of the speaker`s “bust of Pallas” (7) As the author was so tired he could have been confused when the raven visited him. Moreover, he can be disoriented because he was in depression for his lost love, Lenore. The speaker is still in the grieving process, and he is weak especially because of that. He had stated that his trying to move on and forget about Lenore was unsuccessful. Imagining the raven and its speaking of the word “nevermore” is likely a word that represents the speaker’s understanding that he will never be able to move on. The only word the raven spoke was “nevermore”. In stanzas 10-12, the speaker was trying to figure out why the raven was always “saying” “nevermore”. He even thought that the bird`s name was “nevermore”. This whole experience is based on a deep hallucination of the speaker. In stanzas 13-15, when he was in a conversation with the raven, he described an event where he could smell and see Lenore as an angel. That event seems very unusual and it is a result of his positive memories he has of Lenore. In the poem he says, “Then [methought], the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer: Swung by seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor…” “… By these angles he hath sent.” (14) These lines can mean that he sees and smells Lenore as an angel and this is sure