The Raven Case

The Raven

The Raven is a narrative poem written by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1845. It follows the visit of mysterious talking raven to the study of a distraught and deranged lover, lamenting the loss of his love, Lenore. The grief-stricken lover is believed to be a scholar, as he "pondered weak and weary, over a many quaint and curios volume of forgotten lore", as well as having a bust of Pallas (another name for the Greek Goddess, Athena). It follows the man's slow descent into madness, his denials of his declining mental state, his loneliness and his inner conflict of wishing to forget his beloved Lenore, and his desire to remember her. The narrator (the deranged lover), knowing the Raven's only answer to any question will be "Nevermore", pulls up a velvet chair and questions the bird, attempting to learn more. By the time the poem is recited the Raven is still perched atop the bust of Pallas, its shadow cast across the chamber floor. The narrator believes his soul "shall be lifted - nevermore!" (he will not go to Heaven) because of the Raven's shadow "floating on the floor".

This texts represents and contains many elements of a gothic text. It explores the themes of supernaturalism, as shown by the talking Raven and the mysterious tappings outside the narrator's chamber door, as well as the narrator's pondering of whether the Raven is a demon or a prophet, while also contemplating the existence of God and the afterlife. Another element explored is the descent into madness (depicted in the narrator's descent from being "weak and weary", to deeply saddened and grief-stricken, to his anger and frenzy and finally, madness. The Raven's appearance to the narrator, and it's ominous repetition of a single word cause a succession of emotions from the narrator, from curiosity and mild amusement at the bird's first succinct responses to anger and despair at the realisation that his beloved Lenore is now lost to him forever. Also, the use of natural forces to create a mysterious and frightful atmosphere, the darkness of the night, and the appearance of the Raven. The use of the image of "the Night's Plutonian shore" depicts the image of the Roman God of the underworld, Pluto (Roman equivalent of the Greek God of the underworld, Hades), representing many Gothic elements such as death, darkness, the supernatural and the afterlife.

The Raven reflects the culture of 1845 America in its depiction of the supernatural and the main character presumed to be well educated and a scholar. Education was placed very highly in nineteenth century society, all across the developed world. Also, the reference of Pallas (Athena) and the bird sitting on top of the bust of Pallas is ironic, in that Athena is the goddess of wisdom, and whether the Raven is wise in its