Introduction
“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe is based on a literary poem and autobiographical record that presents themes of failure and loss. This work entails a deep analysis of a person’s character and supports the idea that failures and defeats should not limit life. The Raven conveys the story of a person who turns to the gods for help in his needs but receives nothing from them.
Our hero cannot even understand why he is not receiving support from the gods. Nevertheless, he continues to seek a solution and keeps his head high even in the most challenging situations. This work is filled with a solid emotional atmosphere that underscores the idea of hope and the strength of character. In this essay, the poem “The Raven” will be analyzed, and the verbal interaction between the main characters will be expanded.
Legendary and Religious Archetypes in Poe’s The Raven
The Raven refers to ancient archetypes associated with legends about Sirens and Narcissus, as well as Christian ideas about obedience to all divine laws. The Raven is an image of a person’s struggle with endless losses and failures, as well as the ability of a person to move on and not give up. This work also contains religious archetypes and ideas that affirm the belief that a person should continue to move forward and seek happiness.
The Effects of the Verbal Interaction Between Speaker and the Raven
The poem’s structure is a narrative of a speaker’s grief and need for answers to life’s questions. In the course of the dialogue with the Raven, the hero gradually becomes more and more unhappy. Let’s consider why the conversation leads to the hero becoming increasingly painful.
At first, the hero of the poem sees the Raven as his companion, capable of understanding his sorrow and helplessness. The hero expresses a desire to share his grief and hopes that the Raven understands his feelings. However, the Raven cannot answer the hero’s questions and cannot even understand his feelings, which the hero expresses in the next part of the poem when he says: “Nothing farther then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered” (Poe & Doré, 2007). The Raven cannot provide support and cannot ask the right questions to help the hero understand himself.
The hero of the poem also shows increasing anxiety and despair due to the impossibility of receiving support and understanding. Ultimately, this leads to the hero becoming more and more unhappy because he sees that he cannot get the support he so desires. Moreover, ravens are often considered a symbol of death, which implies the speaker’s grief.
In the poem, the Raven symbolizes the death of the character Lenore, who seems to be a subject of the speaker’s sorrows. “From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore” clearly shows the grief (Poe & Doré, 2007). The Raven says only the word “Nevermore” (Poe & Doré, 2007), which illustrates the impossibility of Lenore’s return and the speaker’s unending suffering.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven is a work that offers a deep analysis of personality and brings an optimistic understanding of human nature. The hero expresses a desire to share his grief with the Raven, hoping for understanding. Still, he discovers that the Raven cannot give answers or experience, which makes the hero embarrassed and unhappy.
This shows that the lack of fundamental understanding and support can lead to emotional unhappiness. This poem supports the idea that one should move on and seek a way to hope and happiness. This work offers us a simple and inspiring way to understand the power of personality and our inner strength.
Reference
Poe, E. A., & Doré, G. (2007). The Raven.