Close Reading Of The Raven

“The Raven” Close Reading Assignment

The Raven, Written by a famous Romantic poet named Edgar Allen Poe, opens a doorway to a darker section of the human brain. The lonely and depressed narrator begins by mourning in his chambers over his lost love named Lenore, until a Raven invites himself and perches upon a bust. The narrator attempts to make him leave, but later realizes, he never will, as he symbolizes his mourning for Lenore. Poe’s use of symbolism and tone in his poem reveals to the reader the permanent pain and sorrow that comes with losing a loved one.

Edgar Allen Poe depicts the pain, mourning, and insanity that it is caused by losing a loved one through symbolism. A strong example of symbolism is the Raven’s entrance into the narrator's

Poe commonly refers to Lenore as “the maiden whom the angels name Lenore” as referring to her as she is dead. On two occasions he uses this phrase, “From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore, / For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore:” (Poe 10-11) and “It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore: / Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore!" (Poe 94-95) His use of repetition of “rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore” express that he is trying to convince himself that she’s in a better place now, to help ease the sorrow he is because he lost her. Poe’s use of repetition in the dialogue of the Raven also demonstrates the permanent sorrow and misery that comes with losing a loved one. On eight occasions the Raven croaks “Nevermore” (Poe 48, 54, 60, 72, 84, 90, 96, and 102). Nevermore is not a random word that Poe selects for this Raven to say, with this repetition he is saying that Lenore is nevermore, and the joy she brought him is nevermore. Through repetition, the author is saying that never again will the narrator feel joy again, as the heartbreak for Lenore, as he loved her and she is no