Literary Analysis Essay on Poe’s “The Raven”

An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that something dangerous Is likely to cause Pain or threat to one’s self. This emotion just described is fear. Edgar Allan Poe captured the imagination of people around the world with his eerie, perplexing, distressing, and unsettling poems and stories. He had a life full struggles including neglect, death, and alcoholism. On of Poe’s most famous poems, ‘The Raven’ is a mysterious one. There are many theories on what the poem symbolizes. In general, it’s about a lonely man being disturbed by noises, depressing memories of his dead wife, and a talking raven. He creates the moods of mystery, fear, and sorrow in ‘The Raven’.

To start, Edgar Allan Poe is extremely talented at creating the mood of fear. For examPle. Mysteryis shown when the poem states in stanza six, ‘Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louderthan before. Surely’, said I, surely that is something at my window lattice; Let me see, then, whatthereatis,and this mystery explore’. There was an uncertain, discomforting, and continuous tapping that taunted Poe. He tries to think rationally but then is overcome with fear and his irrational imagination. An additional example of Poe creating the mood of sorrow is in stanza two, stating, ‘Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December; And each seParate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow;-vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow-sorrow for the lost Lenore-For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-Nameless here for evermore’.

This is demonstrating how he clearly remembers how he felt soon after Lenore’s death, remembers how much he loves her, and acknowledges her permanent death on earth. Poe is lonely and in a depressing state of mourning. The last and final example of Poe effectively creating mood of fear is when his poem states in stanza three, ‘…the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me-filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating, Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-This it is and nothing morc, Fear is obviously shown because it is very unusual for someone to knock so late at night, and Poe begins to feel a thrill of terror. He keeps telling himself to be rational and that it is just a visitor, nothing else. When a person hears or sees something odd when he or she is alone, our irrational mind begins to take over and make us feel in danger.