Depression In The Raven

Living after a loved one dying is not easy for anyone. After a loss the five steps of grieving take place, and depression will most likely ensue. Random spurts of missing and longing for the recently deiced happens several times after the death. Missing a loved one is not an uncommon thing, and using poetry to describe the loss is just as common. In The Raven, Poe exaggerates loss and depression to tell a powerful story about a dark night. Poe does this expertly, because he has experienced it so much in his life. Poe uses an eerie tone, the metaphor of a bird, and brilliant imagery to show the readers what it is like to lose a loved one and deal with depression.

By using an eerie tone, Poe makes the readers feel the narrator’s loss. Poe writes, “And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!" This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"- Merely this, and nothing more” (28-29). In this line from The Raven, a non-existent voice is calling out to the narrator. The voice is repeating the name of a woman who the narrator had previously lost. An unknown voice echoing a name sets a pretty creepy tone. The readers are hit with a feeling of loss, especially

Poe writes, “Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore” (80-81). In these lines the narrator is speaking and the raven us haunting the narrator. The raven is reminding the narrator of Lenore even if the narrator wishes to forget her. In this excerpt and in several others, the raven is relentless and downright annoying. The rapping, tapping, and repetition of words is meant to drive the narrator mad, just like the mourning and never forgetting. It aims to never let the narrator forget Lenore. Everything down to the dark color of the bird represents sadness. The raven itself is simply a metaphor for the narrator’s depression and never-ending