Universitatea Dunrea de Jos

Facultatea de Litere
Specializarea Romn-Englez
Anul III


The Raven
Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe stature as a major figure in the literary world is founded on
his ingenious and profound short stories, poems and critical theories which
established a highly influence upon the ration for the short form in poetry and
fiction. Regarded as the architect of the modern short story, Poe was also the
principal forerunner of the art for arts sake movement from the European literature in
the nineteenth century.
Although the author is better known for his Gothic short stories (The Fall of the
House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado), a number of his poetic works gained
importance in the popular consciousness, in particular The Raven, who has seen
frequent adaptation on film and on television, remaining a popular piece for a
dramatic recital. Among Poes works, several of his later poems like Annabel Lee,
Lenore and The Bells have been widely read and remembered for their lyrical sound
and their effective presentation of the unified theme and emotional effect.
When I read Edgar Allan Poes The Raven, I was immediately captivated by
the new angle brought to my attention regarding death. While the topic of death is
usually associated with either sympathy or horror, Poe succeeded in portraying a
feeling caught between the two, and at the same time bringing forth new feeling I
would never thought to consider regarding death. These feelings reflect a sorrow so
deep it morphs into a psychological madness, a feeling that the pain death brings has
ruined one forever. After analyzing this poem I came to the conclusion that Poes
The Raven demonstrates that the sorrow the death of a loved one brings will stay
with you forever, the author presenting this theme through abstract language and
connotation, tone and allusion. An abstract phrase repeated throughout the poem is
the word nevermore combined with different phrases depending on each stanza.
This word can have countless meanings, but ultimately what Poe is trying to prove is
that his loved one is lost forever, to return never again, nevermore. This poem is the
most famous of Poe's poems, notable for its melodic and dramatic qualities. The
meter of the poem is mostly trochaic octameter. Poe emphasizes the "O" sound in
words such as "Lenore" and "nevermore" in order to underline the melancholy and
lonely sound of the poem and to establish the overall atmosphere. In every stanza
near the end, however, his exclamations are punctuated by the calm desolation of
the sentence "Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore,'" as I said before, the reflection of a
desperate soul.Through this poem, Poe uses symbolism, imagery and tone, as well as
a variety of poetic elements to enforce his theme of sadness and death of the one he
loves.Lenore, who is repeatedly described as "radiant" epitomizes the world of light
along with the angels she has joined. Another image of light would be the lamplight
the character uses to light his chamber, his refuge from the darkness of the outside.
The Raven is one of his bleakest publications because it provides such a
definitively negative answer.At first the narrator attempts to give his experiences a
rational explanation, but by the end of the poem, he has ceased to give the raven any
interpretation beyond that which he invents in his own head.The poem consists of
an undeniable narrative structure. Told from the third person, Poe also uses
symbolism to create a strong melancholy tone, for instance, both midnight and
December symbolize an end of something and the hope of something new to
happen.The most obvious symbol is contained in the poem's title. The raven enters
the room imperiously and holds dominion over the narrator. The bird's darkness
symbolizes death; hence, death becomes a constant reminder, an imperious intruder.
If taken in a broader context, the poem may be about the inability of man to escape
his ultimate fate, a reoccurring theme in Poe's short works.
However, The Raven, as well as the dreary December night shows signs of
darkness. These images of light and darkness go even further to represent life and
death, the man's hope of an afterlife with Lenore and his fear of everlasting
loneliness.
Today, Poe is recognized as one of the foremost progenitors of modern
literature, both in its popular forms, such as in horror and detective fiction, and in its
more complex and self-conscious forms, which represented the essential artistic
manner of the twentieth century. In contrast to early critics who viewed the man and
his works as one, criticism of the past twenty-five years has developed a view of Poe
as a detached artist who was more concerned with displaying his virtuosity than
with expressing his soul, and who maintained an ironic, rather than an
autobiographical relationship, to his writings.
Despite persisting disagreement about his literary achievement, no other
American writer of the antebellum period has gained such current popularity and
recognizability. One hundred fifty years after the authors death, cartoon characters
like Garfield and Bart Simpson entertained the young television viewers by reciting
The Raven and the new National Football League team in Baltimore owes its team
nickname and logo to the famous poem (Kennedy 2001:3).




















Bibliography
www.gradesaver.com
www.wikipedia.com
Kennedy, J. Gerald (2001) A Historical Guide to Edgar Allan Poe. New York:
Oxford University Press


















Studeni: Grigorescu Miruna
Pavel Eliza