Thesis: Poe’s “The Raven” symbolizes the
pain and continued suffering of one who has
encountered the loss of a loved one.
Topic Sentences:
I. The poem’s imagery and diction set a
dark tone and mood that embrace the
pain of the speaker.
II. As the poem reaches the pinnacle of
the speaker’s emotions, the speaker
unites his pain and suffering with the
continued presence of the raven and
sees the bird as a symbol of never
ending suffering.
As the poem reaches the pinnacle of
the speaker’s emotions, the speaker
unites his pain and suffering with the
continued presence of the raven and sees
the bird as a symbol of never ending
suffering. After a series of questions
attempting to decipher the raven’s
intentions, the speaker’s tone elevates to
a level of madness asking the bird to “tell
this soul with sorrow laden…” if he will
“clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels
name Lenore.” Desiring to know if he will
ever hold his lost love again, the
speaker’s frustration reaches its height
when the bird responds, “Nevermore.”
Though this is the only word the raven
ever speaks, the speaker’s grief
interprets the raven’s visit and his one
word as an answer to his soul’s deepest
yearning. He shrieks for the raven to
“take thy beak from out my heart, and
take thy form from off my door…” thus
intentionally stating the symbolism
explicitly of the “beak” representing the
inflicted pain, the darkness of grief that
has pierced him since the death of
Lenore. Furthering the depth of his
pain, his final comments on the position
of the raven in his home reflect the
angst of his continued pain as the verb
tense shifts from the past, as of one
telling a story, to the present, as of one
who is in the midst of this description.
He states that the “Raven, never flitting,
still is sitting, still is sitting…” just as his
soul “shall be lifted—nevermore!” This
final statement secures the terror of the
realization that grief may never subside
for the speaker.