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The Raven | Study Guide

Edgar Allan Poe

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Course Hero. "The Raven Study Guide." Course Hero. 10 Nov. 2017. Web. 25 Mar. 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Raven/>.

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Course Hero. (2017, November 10). The Raven Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved March 25, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Raven/

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Course Hero. "The Raven Study Guide." November 10, 2017. Accessed March 25, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Raven/.

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Course Hero, "The Raven Study Guide," November 10, 2017, accessed March 25, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Raven/.

The Raven | Infographic

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Check out this Infographic to learn more about Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven. Study visually with character maps, plot summaries, helpful context, and more.

The Ravenby the Numbers Times the raven says “Nevermore” in “The Raven” 6 Lines Poe believed to be the perfect number to read in one sitting 100 Lines in “The Raven” 108 icon Amount Poe was allegedly paid for “The Raven” by The American Review $9 Speaker, Line 85 hing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil! Sources: Biography.com, The Cambridge Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe by Benjamin Franklin Fisher, “The Philosophy of Composition” by Edgar Allan Poe, “Poe’s Literary Labors and Rewards” by John Ward Ostrom Copyright © 2017 Course Hero, Inc. Narrative Voice The narrative voice reflects the shifts in the speaker’s emotional state throughout the course of “The Raven.” In the first stanza he is calm, if weary and melancholy. As the poem progresses, his agitation grows as his imagination—or the supernatural—begins to assault him. Poe is credited with the invention of the detective story because of his short stories, but “The Raven” is arguably his most famous and enduring work. The poem made Poe a literary sensation, and it embodies the eerie, disturbing Gothic elements that characterize much of his work. EDGAR ALLEN POE1809–49 Author Bust of Pallas Athena Symbolizes the rational mind and logical thought Raven Represents darkness, madness, and the unknown Pluto Stands for the unbridgablegap between life and death Symbols Main Characters Speaker Young scholar grieving for his lost love; disturbed by the raven Raven Omen of darkness; pesters the speaker and won’t leave him alone Lenore The speaker’s radiant—but dead—love Loss & Grief The loss of a beautiful young woman was chosen as the central theme because of its profound effect on the reader. Death & the Afterlife The speaker mourns the loss of Lenore and craves confirmation that he will see her again in the afterlife. Madness & Despair The bust of Athena promises the safety of rational thought but cannot overcome the despair of the raven. A Persistent Bird Turns Torturer On a dreary December night, the speaker, who is grieving his lost love, is visited by a mysterious raven. The bird utters a mysterious one-word answer—“Nevermore”—when the speaker talks to it. The speaker becomes furious and orders the raven to leave, but it remains, looming over him. Has he gone mad, overcome by his grief? THEMES English Original Language 1845 Year Published Edgar Allan Poe Author The Raven Poetry Drama
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