The Raven: The Theme Of The Poem

Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven”, which first published in January 1845, is a narrative poem based on supernatural power, the lost love and some mysterious things. The poem illustrates the presence of supernatural power in the form of raven and visit in his house to distract him from reading book. The narrator feels so sad over the loss of his love that he allow his imagination to transform his thoughts in negative way. “The Raven” by Poe concluded that poet’s own self imagination and his own doubts in the way of loss, memory that gives him depression and sadness. In this poem, he used many symbols that depict his loss and sadness.

In the opening of poem, narrators describes it was midnight time and he was reading book. But somebody knock his chamber door. He felt scary at that time. He opened the door but there was nobody over there. Then he gave the background information about the incident. The incident took place in December in which he lost his love named Lenore. “Ah, Distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December” (Poe). Narrator was psychologically disturbed. He was in grief and sorrow due to his lost love. His behavior shows that he was in depression. He was reading books to come out of his sadness and depression. But he was unable to do this. He was trapped in the memories of his lost love. The word “dreary midnight” created horrible environment and also as a symbol that his sorrow never ends. The time “bleak December” tells us it was filled with sorrow, sadness and misery.

The poem gets complicated in upcoming paragraphs. Again somebody tapped his window. The poet filled with terror and many things was running in his mind. He was in hope that might be his lost love was come back. But the use of word “nevermore” gives the symbol that his lost love will never come back. Narrator also knows this thing but then also he doesn’t want to accept this fact. He opened the window and suddenly bird “Raven” came in his house. When the Raven arrived in his home, Poe describes the “the silken and uncertain rustling” which symbolizes bird as a devil or as a negative energy. The suspense builds until he flings open the shutter and in steps a “stately Raven, the bird symbolizing ill-omen who then “perched upon a bust of Pallas”-the goddess of wisdom in Greek methodology,” above chamber door”. He asked the Raven about this name he croaks “Nevermore”. Every question that asked by poet to raven answered by “Nevermore”. Raven only speaks this word. Narrator did grab a chair and sat on it and that was Lenore’s chair. Again, the memories of his love came into his mind which put him into sadness. He thought that his love came in the form of Raven and gives him any good news about his future. In the past, might be narrators did something wrong with Lenore and that’s the reason he took the meaning of word Nevermore in such a negative way.

In the last of Poem, the suspense about Raven was clear. It was just bird and the movement of curtains that made him feels afraid. People considered Raven as symbol of bad luck, unfortunate and sadness. So, Raven was the best bird that matches with Poem. He is supernatural and creature has no reasoning. The narrator asked Raven to leave his house and was thinking that his eyes looks like devil’s eyes who was dreaming for something sad happening. He saw his shadow was fallen on the floor due to lamp lightening means that narrator will never come out from his sadness. “Can Lenore be found in distant Aidenn a word for Paradise?” “Nevermore” “Take thy form off my door” “Nevermore”. Since, the narrator knows that Raven was only know one word “ Nevermore” then also he was asking him again and again about his love “ Lenore”. This thing gave him more pain and he was tortures himself also going in depression. His own imagination was killing him for inside. The poet also used many poetic devices in this poem like metaphor in first and last paragraph. “And his eyes have all the seeming of demon’s that is dreaming”. He compares his eyes with demon’s eyes. He also used Simile and allusion. The Rhyming scheme in this poem is very unique. This poem is very good example of imagery poem. The narrator crated very horrible, adventure, terror, suspense and terrifying atmosphere. The poem also tells about that poet’s believes in superstitious things.

I concluded that its poet’s own imagination for his lost love that gives him sorrows and sadness. His own negative thoughts filled his mind with negativity. Raven is just normal bird but due to his overthinking and loneliness he symbolizes Raven as supernatural power. His strong desire to meet Lenore made him to ask non meaningful questions from Raven. His lover’s death made him mad. He was lost his sense about right or wrong. He blames himself for his death. He filled life with negativity and he was talking with bird that was not normal. This poem also shows how the death of your loved one will stay with you in the form of sorrow and morrow. You will never come out from grief. The only way to come out from grief and sadness is to control your own emotions and imagination. It does not matter whether the Raven is supernatural visitor, but it all depends upon the narrator’s imagination. His mind cannot accept the fact that he was not responsible for his wife’s death. He shouldn’t blame or torture himself for that thing. “And my soul from out that shadow that floating on the floor shall be lifted” – nevermore! As the poem ends, narrator concludes that he have to continues live in the bird inescapable shadow.