THE RAVEN

-Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe is a famous American poet and fiction writer. His stories are noted for horror and supernatural element. In this poem ‘The Raven’ he narrates his horrible experience with Raven which has entered his chamber in a storming midnight.

One December midnight, Poe was reading some old books of magic. When he was half asleep, he heard somebody knocking the door gently. He thought that it might be some unknown visitor. The poet is in a distressed mood due to the recent death of his wife Lenore.

            

                              For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore

Meantime, the poet was thrilled by the eerie atmosphere in the room. The silken curtains rustled and it increased his heartbeat. It filled him with ‘fantastic terrors’. Yet he went out and opened the door, but could find nothing.

                        

                                The only word he could whisper is ‘Lenore’ which was echoed back.

The poet again heard a tapping louder than before from the window lattice. When he opened that a ‘stately’ Raven came in. It entered without hesitation and sat on the statue of Pallas above the chamber door. The poet became happy on seeing the bird. The poet was surprised to hear a bird talking.

The poet was startled to hear the words of the Raven. He thought that the bird could have learned the single word from his unhappy master. Sinking on his velvet cushion chair, he remembered his loving Lenore who was ‘nomore’.

The poet who was disturbed scolded the bird as ‘Prophet of Doom’ and ‘Agent of Evil’. He again asked for a balm in Gilead to cure his sadness.

            

                                 Is there – is there balm in Gilead tell me- tell me. I implore.

The bird again refused to it by saying ‘Nevermore’. He again asked the bird whether it had seen Lenore ‘The Sainted maiden’ in the distant land. The bird replied of the bird the poet became very angry. He asked the bird to get out of his chamber.

                    

                               Take thy beak from out my heart, and taken thy from, from off my door!

Yet, the Raven was still sitting on the bust of Pallas and looking at the poet with its fiery eyes. The poet could not lift his soul from the shadow of the bird that laid on the floor.

In this poem, the poet uses the conversational tone. The poem is also considered as the dramatization of the poet’s despair.