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Erin Brown
Mrs.Stack
Advanced English 11
18 December 2009
Symbolism in The Raven
Edgar Allen Poe uses symbolism to portray death throughout “The Raven”. A raven, which
symbolizes death, comes to Poe’s door and repeatedly taps and tricks him. The raven confuses Poe and
eventually makes him focus solemnly on the raven and forgets about his surroundings. Poe writes very
dark pieces of work that involve death and revenge. In “The Raven” Poe uses his ominous nature to set
the setting of the poem and add suspicion.
In the first sentence of the poem, Poe sets the ominous setting:
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore- While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. (Poe 1)
The word midnight makes the setting dark and mysterious followed by the words pondered, weak and
weary which make you think why they are tired and adds to the mysterious mood. Although he makes a
dark setting in the beginning, it is followed by the words lore and gently which help to lighten up the
mood. Along with a dark setting to set the mood, Poe also uses repetition to create unity and emphasis.
Poe’s use of the word “nevermore” is repeated a lot throughout the poem for many different
reasons:
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And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just about my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming
And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadows on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted- -nevermore! (Poe 3)
This quote stating “nevermore” can have many different meanings; nevermore happiness, nevermore a
lover, and nevermore getting better. As Poe uses repetition of this word, he is constantly reminding the
reader of his melancholy feeling throughout the poem. To add to Poe’s melancholy feeling, he uses
symbolism in his poem.
Poe’s symbolism throughout ‘The Raven’ mainly portrays death. For example, a raven and the
winter are symbols of death: “Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, and each separate
dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor” (Poe 1). These symbols are used all throughout the poem.
Not only is Poe talking about death, but he is saying that death is at his door by quoting, ““ Tis some
visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door- -Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber
door; This it is and nothing more”” (Poe 1).
Poe also refers to the “Nightly shore” as a symbol of
crossing over from life to death:
Then the ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore- -
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Tell me what why lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”
Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.” (Poe 2)
By the repetition of “shore” he is emphasizing the crossing over from life to death whether is it him or his
loved one Lenore. Poe also mentions that no one has ever seen death at their door before besides him,
and that he is blessed that the bird has appeared at his chamber door. With these three symbols, the raven,
bleak December and Nightly shore, it adds to Poe’s depressing and melancholy mood of the poem.
Between the ominous setting, repletion, and symbolism, these components make up a piece of
work by Edgar Allen Poe. This piece “The Raven”, portrays death through symbolism.