Examples Of Personification In The Raven

When grieving the loss of a loved one, most people are consumed by their sorrow. This was the case with the renowned American poet Edgar Allan Poe. In the winter of 1847, Poe’s wife passed away after suffering from tuberculosis since 1842. During the last two years of Poe’s life, he dedicated numerous poems and short stories to her. For example, in one of his most famous works, The Raven, used imagery, personification, and assonance to project his devastation of the loss of his wife.

As the speaker of the poem recounted his encounter with the bird, he used imagery to portray his fury and grief to the readers. For instance, the speaker said, “And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting,” (Poe 784). The bird captured the speaker’s attention, much like Lenore’s death devoured any chance the speaker had at happiness. Not only was the bird a constant reminder of Lenore’s death, but the bird also represented the looming death of the speaker. As the bird drove him mad, it was slowly wearing him down. Showing the speaker’s emotions in this form reflects how Poe feels about losing his wife. Poe is the speaker in the poem, and the bird represents his denial

The chief example of personification in the poem was when the raven repeated the word “nevermore.” As the poem went on, the speaker attempted to ignore and get rid of the bird; however, the raven continued saying “nevermore” despite the speaker’s best efforts. The word itself is a reminder to Poe that his wife is no longer living. The repetition of the word symbolizes the constant feeling of hopelessness that Poe felt after her death because he would still be experiencing the agony years later. Not only did the personification of Poe’s struggles help the readers understand his anguish, but it also helped Poe grieve his wife by providing an outlet. Because of reason Poe created this outlet, the mood for the poem is