Edgar Allan Poe’s narrative poem “The Raven” was first released in 1845. It depicts the tale of a grieving lover who, while lamenting the loss of his beloved Lenore, is visited late one night by an enigmatic talking raven.
Grief, loss, and the ominous presence of death are some of the themes covered in the poem.
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-The narrator of the poem, who is introduced as a weary and unhappy man, opens the poem by reading a book to try to escape his misery.
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-He hears a tapping at his chamber door as he is drifting off to sleep. He opens the door, but all he sees is darkness. He tells himself again and again that it is only a visitor.
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-He soon realises that it is coming from his window as the tapping continues.
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-A raven enters through the window once he opens it. The narrator finds the presence of the bird intriguing and interprets it as a sign. He asks the raven a number of things, and it only offers one reply: “Nevermore.”
Also Read-
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-The narrator expresses increasing distress as the discussion between he and the raven goes on. He begins to inquire about whether he would ever meet Lenore in the hereafter, but the raven replies in the same way: “Nevermore.”
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-He soon realises that it is coming from his window as the tapping continues. A raven enters through the window once he opens it. The narrator finds the presence of the bird intriguing and interprets it as a sign. He asks the raven a number of things, and it only offers one reply: “Nevermore.”
The narrator expresses increasing distress as the discussion between he and the raven goes on. He begins to inquire about whether he would ever meet Lenore in the hereafter, but the raven replies in the same way: “Nevermore.”
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-As the narrator’s emotions rise, he begins to believe that the raven is a cursed messenger intended to torture him. When he asks the raven if he will ever get solace from his grief, it once more replies, “Nevermore.”
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-In the poem’s final lines, the narrator expresses his desperation and promises that his soul will be freed from the raven’s shadow “Nevermore.”
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-The poem “The Raven” is well-known for its melody, ominous mood, and repeated use of the term “Nevermore,” which heightens the poem’s feeling of impending doom and forms a menacing refrain.
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-It is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature and one of Poe’s most well-known works, delving deeply into how people feel in the face of loss and mortality.
“The Raven” Poem
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.”
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.
And 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 more.”
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;—
Darkness there and nothing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore?”
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”—
Merely this and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—
’Tis the wind and nothing more!”
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
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.”
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door—
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as “Nevermore.”
But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing farther then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered—
Till I scarcely more than muttered “Other friends have flown before—
On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.”
Then the bird said “Nevermore.”
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of ‘Never—nevermore’.”
But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore—
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er,
But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
“Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore;
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”
“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—
On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—
Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”
“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”
“Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting—
“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted—nevermore!
Conclusion
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe is a captivating and haunting narrative poem that delves into themes of grief, loss, and the omnipresence of death.
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-Through the encounters between the narrator and the mysterious raven, the poem explores the depths of human despair and the futile search for solace in the face of irreparable loss.
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-Poe’s masterful use of language and rhythm creates a dark and melancholic atmosphere that engulfs the reader, mirroring the narrator’s emotional state.
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-The repetition of the word “Nevermore” serves as a haunting refrain, intensifying the sense of foreboding and the narrator’s descent into madness.
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-“The Raven” continues to captivate readers with its exploration of the human psyche, its evocative imagery, and its enduring themes.
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Summary-It remains a timeless piece of literature that resonates with anyone who has experienced profound grief and wrestled with the inevitability of death.
FAQ.
Q: Who is the author of “The Raven”?
A: “The Raven” was written by Edgar Allan Poe.
Q: When was “The Raven” published?
A: “The Raven” was first published in 1845.
Q: What are the main themes of “The Raven”?
A: The main themes of “The Raven” include grief, loss, the presence of death, and the despair of the human condition.
Q: What is the structure of “The Raven”?
A: “The Raven” is a narrative poem composed of 18 stanzas, each containing six lines. The poem follows a consistent rhythm and meter, with the repetition of certain phrases and the use of internal rhyme.
Q: Why is “The Raven” considered a classic?
A: “The Raven” is considered a classic due to its profound exploration of human emotions, its evocative imagery, and its mastery of poetic language. It has had a lasting impact on literature and continues to be widely studied and admired for its thematic depth and literary techniques.
