The mood, somewhat established in Stanza 1 with “midnight dreary” and “forgotten lore,” becomes entrenched as Poe includes details such as “bleak December,” dying ember,' “ghost upon the floor,” sorrow,' and a bevvy of alliterative phrases and words with Anglo-Saxon roots. He is searching desperately to end his sorrow. The incident takes place in December and the narrator suffers from depression. Stanza 2: We are told this incident takes place in December and that the narrator had been reading in order to forget about his lost love, Lenore.Īnalysis: Stanza 2 provides background information. It’s quite possible he dreams the entire episode. Keep in mind that it’s late and the narrator is extremely tired. The speaker, somewhat startled, consoles himself by muttering “’tis some visitor” and “nothing more.”Īnalysis: The ambiguity of the narrator’s mental state is introduced in the first stanza and becomes a topic of debate throughout the entire poem. As he’s about to fall asleep, he hears something tapping at his door. The poem’s speaker is tired and weak, reading an old collection of folklore (note that Ravens are prevalent in folklore). Make everyone in class think you’re really smart when you bust out everything you’ve learned in this summary. Ravens have strong ties to symbolism Stanzas: 1-2

This article will give you a comprehensive analysis of Poe’s popular poem. If you haven’t read the poem yet, you can find it online at the Poetry Foundation. “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe was first published in 1845 as a narrative poem.

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe