Read Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" here.
Since Gothic Literature was born three-hundred years ago, its conventions and elements of terror and dread have allowed people to imagine the darkest things that mankind is reluctant to reveal. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” is believed to be one of the most remarkable. There are many Gothic conventions in The Raven that built people’s impression on horror stories, hence it is one typical representative of the Gothic genre.
First, a major Gothic element in this poem is the haunting of the past.
“From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore— (Poe)”
In this quote from the text, we can see that the narrator is perhaps desperately trying to escape the memories of his lover Lenore without much success, pointing out that the pain and longing for the past could drown a man’s logic and attempt to escape it. Another creature that is haunting him is the Raven.
“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 (Poe)!”
The Raven won’t leave the narrator’s room—his mind—just like Lenore, and this stanza suggests the narrator’s despair to never be able to escape his days of yore. The Raven, too, becomes the narrator’s past that haunts him, therefore giving the poem a theme of helplessness against the past, which is one of the most obvious Gothic elements in this poem.
Psychological terror is also a significant element of Gothic horror, especially in Poe’s stories and poems.
“‘Prophet!’ said I, ‘thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet 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.’ (Poe)”
The text suggests that the narrator actually believed the Raven was a devilish prophet and was answering his questions, which leads the readers to wonder whether the bird is really something blasphemous and supernatural. This doubt and questioning build a sense of humanity’s ignorance and uncertainty, making people feel vulnerable and insecure—another typical convention in Gothic horror.
Finally, symbolism plays a very contributive role in “The Raven”.
“Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—
Perched, and sat, and nothing more (Poe).”
These two verses might indicate the symbolism of the bust of Pallas. Pallas Athena is the Greek Goddess of wisdom and symbolizes intelligence, logic, and mankind’s attempt to pursue knowledge. The Raven perching on it at ease can be hinting that nature and death are inevitable—no human wisdom can conquer them.
“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.’ (Poe)”
The Raven itself is also a significant symbol. “Poe himself meant the Raven to symbolize 'mournful, never-ending remembrance' (Study.com).” With symbolism, Poe painted “The Raven” an indirect, uncertain mood, making the readers afraid to imagine what’s concealed in the shadows, successfully building a Gothic atmosphere.
Edgar Allan Poe wove his perception of darkness in mankind into this classic poem of Gothic horror. He created a literary world where people can explore the deepest fear of our souls: fear for the unknown, unpredictable, and imperious death. His skills with the haunting of the past, psychological terror, and symbolism made “The Raven” a masterpiece in Gothic Literature even after one-hundred-and-seventy-five years till today.
Works Cited
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Raven.” The InterActive Reader, by Arthur N. Applebee, McDougal Littell, 2001, pp. 162–170.
Giordano, Robert. “The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.” PoeStories.com, poestories.com/read/raven.
“Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven: Summary and Analysis.” Study.com, Study.com, study.com/academy/lesson/edgar-allen-poes-the-raven-summary-and-analysis.html.
Poe, Edgar Allan, and Stacie K. “Poe's Poetry ‘The Raven’ Summary and Analysis.” GradeSaver, www.gradesaver.com/poes-poetry/study-guide/summary-the-raven.
“A Short Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven'.” Interesting Literature, 11 June 2017, interestingliterature.com/2017/06/a-short-analysis-of-edgar-allan-poes-the-raven/.
“Edgar Allan Poe's ‘The Raven.’” The Poe Decoder, www.poedecoder.com/essays/raven/.
I have posted a paper, "Evidence that Edgar Allan Poe Stole 'The Raven' from Mathew Franklin Whittier," which is downloadable at the following link. It can also be found by searching on the title on Academia.edu.
www.ial.goldthread.com/MFW_The_Raven.pdf