Analysis
My fist impression of “The Raven” is that it was just a good poem. It uses several literary elements to amplify the mood of the poem. As I read again I found a deeper meaning to the poem. The poem was not just about a man mourning over his recently decease lover, “Lenore”. I instead compared the situations between the main character in “The Raven” and Poe's own life events or tragedies. This poem is actually a reflection of Poe own loss, his wife. Everything he wrote about Lenore is exactly what he felt and thought about his own wife.
-by Chen
Stanza 1- 5
In the bleak December the speaker tiredly looking through some literature began to hear tapping on the chamber door, thinking of departed and radiant maiden named Lenore. Suddenly filled with terror the speaker never felt before, the speaker calmed down and gained the courage to see who was tapping on the chamber door, only to see darkness this and nothing more. Standing there wondering who was tapping on the chamber door, peering into the darkness he whispered the word “Lenore” merely this, and nothing more.
Stanza 6 – 8
The speaker began to hear tapping louder than before this time not on the chamber door but on the window. The speaker opened the shutter and in flew a raven that looked poorly in shape but had a stern decorum in expressing. Seeing the raven the speaker wondered if this bird was from the underworld, “Plutonian shore”.
Stanza 9 – 12
The speaker had a feeling he was the first to see this bird figured it would leave in the morning. However, the condition of the bird did intrigue the speaker, wondering the bird’s former master toured it. Still intrigue the speaker sat in front of the bird to examine and understand why the bird croaked “Never more”.
Stanza 13 – 16
Now engaged in the raven the air became denser and a perfume...