Edgar Alan Poe’s “The Raven” is one of his most mystical and complex poems. It was first published in 1845 and immediately caught readers’ attention with its dramatic and musical tone (Poe 2). This poem narrated the story of a young man who lost the love of his life. In the poem, he sits near a fire and talks to the raven. This research paper argues that the choice of this specific bird was dictated by the background of the scene and inspired by ancient mythology and other writers’ works. Although the role of the main character is self-explanatory, the mourning lover, the raven was presented in this story to symbolize loss and remembrance.
This research paper will be written using primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. The primary resources for this paper will be the poem itself and Poe’s follow-up essay about “The Raven.” The secondary and tertiary sources are scholarly articles that discuss symbolism in this work. Furthermore, the papers that explain the role of this bird in ancient mythology will be utilized in this essay. The keywords that should help find good sources on Google Scholar are “Edgar Poe,” “raven,” “mythology,” and “symbolism.”
This research paper will help readers revise their understanding of “The Raven.” The essay will try to show that it is not only a depressing poem about love, loss, and bird knowing only one word but also an organized and systematized work with reference to mythology. This paper will also be a brief guide to Poe’s mastery and the legends he used for inspiration. Overall, the readers will be able to see that the well-composed poem conceals deep meaning within the primary chosen symbol.
Work Cited
Poe, Edgar Allan. The Raven. ePubLibre, 1845.