What is Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" about, and how do we know that it's about anguish?

Question

I have to write a few paragraphs on the poem...

If I were to say something about the fact that the bird is taunting him about the loss of Lenore, and he is getting more and more upset about it, how could I expand it more?

I interprate the line at the end of the poem "And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted nevermore." to mean that he killed himself... is this correct?

Answer 1

Who says it is about anguish. I think poetry is a personal thing and we all feel differently when we read it so we can all interpret it differently. I love Edgar, When you read it do you feel anguish? everyones interpretation is different

Answer 2

The main theme of the poem is one of undying devotion. The narrator has a perverse conflict between desire to forget and desire to remember. In fact, he seems to get some pleasure from focusing on loss. The narrator assumes that the word "Nevermore" is the raven's "only stock and store" and yet he continues to ask it questions, knowing what the answer will be. His questions, then, are purposely self-deprecating and further incite his feelings of loss. Poe leaves it unclear if the raven actually knows what it is saying or if it really intends to cause a reaction in the poem's narrator. The main theme of the poem is one of undying devotion

Answer 3

He is bascially pouring his emotions into The Raven. He is grieving his wife (or girlfriend) Lenore, she has died. He keeps hearing something knocking on his door..but nothing is there, and he just tells himself "nothing more." The Raven in my opinion was symbolic of death itself. As Poe was extremely interested in the dark topic, it seems to fit. I don't think it is about anguish..its about sadness; if you'll read more of his writings you'll see its very dominant.

Answer 4

Essentially, the poem is about one man's despair over a lost love...specifically Lenore.

"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 named Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore."

The language of the poem paints this tone, as well:

"Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor."

"And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain..."

The only times that hope, and 'light' language are used, are when he speaks of Lenore (in the above quoted verse), and when he first sees the Raven:

"Then this 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 -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.' "

The rest of the poem is about his descent into rage and despair over the bird's single, simple quote, "nevermore". The bird is telling him exactly when the speaker will be with his lost love again.

Answer 5

Its self-torture. The man, wallowing in the loss of his love, knows that the bird's answer will be "nevermore." And so, in his anguish, he treat it like a messenger from beyond, confirming that which the man already knows.

Answer 6

Bird, said I, thing of evil, prophet whether bird or devil, tell me, tell me whether in some distant Eden these poor arms shall clasp a maiden, clasp a maiden named Leonore! Quoth the raven, "Never more".

Answer 7

I started quoting it.

You should read it,
it's good.

It is about anguish,
the death of his Wife.

" For the rare and radiant Angel
whom the Angels named Lenore
nameless here forever more ". :-(

Answer 8

The bird was a stalker.

Answer 9

Oh no you don't, go to the library and get the book!