The Raven: Evaluation

Literal Meaning:

The narrator is reading a book around midnight when, before he is about to fall asleep, someone taps at the door. The narrator tells himself that it is only a visitor and nothing else.

It was a December night, and his fire was burning in the fireplace. The narrator wished it was the next day; he was reading because he could not stop thinking about his lost love Lenore.

Every movement scared the narrator, so he kept telling himself it was only a visitor at the door and nothing else.

The narrator finally got a burst of courage and opened the door, but no one was there. The narrator became very scared and started thinking about the worst things he could when he said "Lenore" and then something whispered "Lenore" back.

The narrator went back into his room then hurt the tapping again, but it was louder this time. He then thinks that the sound is coming from his window. The narrator opened the window, and a raven flew in. The raven flew right in and landed on top of a statue of Pallas above the narrators door.

The raven makes the narrator laugh because he looks so serious. He asks the raven his name and he says "Nevermore". The narrator was surprised and a little excited that the raven spoke so clearly to him.

The raven did not say anything else until the narrator said that all his friends have left him, so the raven will leave him too in the morning, but the raven said "Nevermore".

The narrator says to himself that "Nevermore" is the only word the raven could speak. That someone taught only that word to him. The narrator then pulled up a chair and sat beside the raven, and he thought about what he meant by saying "Nevermore".

The narrator sat and pondered and wondered about Lenore.

All of a sudden the air grew denser, and a scent filled the room. The narrator says, "Please give me things to help me forget Lenore!" and the raven says "Nevermore".

The narrator asks if there is any relief for his suffering, and the raven says, "Nevermore".

The narrator asks if Lenore is in heaven, and the raven says, "Nevermore". The narrator then becomes mad and tells the raven to leave. The raven says, "Nevermore".

The raven still stays completely still on top of the statue, and the narrator stays there with his soul never being lifted again.

Poetic Devices:

symbolism: I think the raven symbolizes death, because he comes when the narrator is thinking about death, and at the end of the poem, I think the last line kind of means that the raven and the narrator become one, which means that the narrator dies.

Personification: This is used when the raven speaks and says "Nevermore". I know some birds can actually talk, but I do not think ravens can speak.

Imagery: A great example of imagery from the poem is "Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor." This is good imagery because I feel like I can see the the incense floating around in the room, and I can almost smell because I know what incense smells like.

Figurative Meaning:

I think the figurative meaning of this poem is that the narrator is thinking and feeling sad about his lost love Lenore. A raven, whom I believe symbolizes death, knocks on his window because it is his time to go. The raven says "Nevermore" to all of the narrators questions because he is about to die too. At the end, the raven and the narrators soul kind of become one, which means that the narrator dies because I think the raven symbolizes death.