Why did Poe choose a Raven instead of another bird to be in his poem "The Raven"?

Answer 1

Because nobody would have wanted to read a poem called "The Yellow Crested Titwillow".

Answer 2

An interesting fact that I learned about ravens when researching that very poem is that ravens can actually be taught to talk, albeit usually only one word. To me, Poe might have taken this into consideration when writing his poem, as some claim that the raven was an actual bird and not a figment of the main character's imagination. Writing the poem with a bird that can actually be taught to say the word "nevermore" over and over adds credibility to the story (as well as the idea that the main character was no hallucinating the whole event).

Answer 3

Because it was called the Raven. Would he have picked a chicken for the Raven?




The titwillow answer...love it....havent stopped laughing yet? Give him the ten points

Answer 4

beacuse it ryhmed.

Also Ravens are dark and stanic where as a little robin red breast wouldn't really set the right tone what with not being scary and all. Ravens are the keepers of the gates of hell, now copied heavily in the media eg The Omen and six feet under, they signify death

Answer 5

Poe wrote a lot of "dark" themed poetry, and the raven is a bird of omen, good or ill.

Answer 6

I beg to differ. I would have liked to.

I do believe he chose a raven because of the dark omens people associate with the raven.

Answer 7

Because ti would be silly to call one's poem "The Raven" and then write about a pigeon.

Answer 8

The raven is a bird that elicits feelings of mysteriousness.

Answer 9

Raven's tend to be dark gloomy animals. atleast in the eye's of men.
Poe was a unique man.

Answer 10

The raven is symbolic. Thus quoth the Raven....