Edger Allen Poe

Poe was an American poet who contributed many great pieces of literature to our society. His works illustrate and portray a realm of both paranormal and morbid beauty. In each poem usually lies a demonic undertone, that frequently summed up to a type of conclusion that can in one way or another pertain to h is life’s reminiscences. A common choice of topic for Poe was his love for his wife Virginia, who tragically died of tuberculosis. His poems that revolve around her, more often then not, contain a tone of sadness, loneliness, and despair. In both “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee” he makes reference to her as the long lost Lenore. Whether it was a way for him to idolize, or recollect on his memories of her he always seemed to do it in a haunting and surreal way.

In “The Raven” Poe’s character is up in the late hours of the night and reading to try and pass the time. Although exhausted he is unable to sleep because his thoughts are plagued by his lost love, Lenore. She apparently died, leaving him alone and in a state of incomprehensible sadness. The atmosphere of the poem immediately starts off as a cold, chilling and mysterious setting. And the unexpected interruption during his recollection of his love stirs the reader from a state of shared remorse to sudden and quite frightening curiosity. When the transfixing spell of woe is broken abruptly by a sudden “rapping” sound the character dismisses it as nothing more then an unexpected visitor. But when he opens the door and discovers that no one is in the night, he calls out, as if confirming his sanity, for his Lenore. Apparently distraught and now transfixed upon the mysterious apparition that never comes the character becomes distraught.

After thoroughly investigating the scene the character sequentially retreats back to his room. Which leaves both him and the reader guessing whether or not he actually heard the noise at the door, or if his imagination briefly got the best of him. This is quickly confirmed when once again the tapping returns. This is unsettling to the character, and unable to retain his composure of calm and collect, the reader feels a sense of unwinding of his personality as he makes the pivotal decision to investigate the window. Here the suspense of not knowing what’s to come intrigues and frightens adding to the mystery and suspense. After the character confirms to himself that the tapping at the window is “nothing” he quickly exposes what the noise is being projected from. And none the less a raven is displayed, and a explanation to the cause of the tapping puts the character and the reader at a sense of ease. But, ironically, the raven is a symbol of death. And once the association of the two is made, once again a mysterious fog seems to cloud the readers mind with uncertainty of why the raven was chosen to be placed outside the poor fellow’s window.

Where the educated reader may draw the relevancy, the character is oblivious to the matter, seems to take it in as humor, and the atmosphere of sadness seems to dissipate as he carry’s on and begins to converse with the bird. He idolizes the bird, and gives it a godly decree. He dictates to the reader a clear picture that undoubtedly portrays a bird, black as night and as haunting as death itself. And adding to the demonic nature of the bird the character goes on and tells of the haunting word it speaks “nevermore” to every question he asks of the creature. Eventually the character asks of the bird, questions to which his reply makes sense. This sends him into a bit of a contemplative mood, and he amused with the bird takes a seat in a chair that the fair Lenore used to perch in.

It is then the character, recollecting on the thoughts of his long lost love, realizes the irony of the bird, and now views it as a prophet. He becomes distraught once more, because he now thinks that it has come to haunt him and his memories of Lenore. He begins to interrogate the raven with questions that no matter how he presented it would lead to a desolate answer, relevant to Lenore, with a reply from the bird of nevermore. Eventually the character comes to the conclusion that defeated, by the birds predictable reply his Lenore is really gone, and no matter what all will be “nevermore”.

Another poem where Poe uses his love as an inspiration is in his work entitled Annabel Lee. In Annabel Lee, Poe portrays a character who is talking about his lost love in a whimsical and romantic state. It starts off putting the reader in a later setting and begins to paint a picture of a couple who loved each other more then the actual word love could dictate. The character talked about how nobody in the world had ever loved as much as they had. But tragically a cold wind blew in from the sea one day and his love, Annabel lee, fell ill and was taken away to recuperate. But unable