The Raven Analysis

First Stanza

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—

Only this and nothing more.”

The opening line of this poem proves to be quite theatrical; initiating with the classic, “once upon a -”
and introducing a typical melodramatic, “weak and weary” character who is evidently lost in thought
during a particularly boring night. He claims to be thinking and “pondering” over volumes of old
traditions of knowledge. As he nods off to sleep while reading, he is interrupted by a tapping sound. It
sounds as if someone is “gently” knocking on his “chamber door”. He mutters to himself that it must be
a visitor, since what else could it possibly be?

The first stanza of Poe’s The Raven exposes a story that the reader knows will be full of drama. The
imagery in just this stanza alone, gives the reader a very good idea that the story about to unfold is not a
happy one. The scene opens on a “dreary” or boring midnight and a “weak and weary” character. The
quiet midnight paints a picture of mystery and suspense for the reader, whilst an already tired out and
exhausted character introduces a tired out and emotionally exhausted story – as we later learn that the
character has suffered a great deal before this poem even begins. To further highlight the fatigued
mood, he is even reading “forgotten lore” which is basically old myths/folklore that were studied by
scholars (so we assume the character is a scholar/student of sorts). The words “forgotten” and ‘nothing
more’ here sneak in the theme of loss that is prevalent in this poem. We are also introduced to our first
symbol: the chamber door; which symbolizes insecurity. The chamber door functions as any door would,
it opens the characters room/home to the outside world; and we will notice that it is also a
representation of the insecurities and weaknesses of the character as he opens them up to the world
outside of him. In this stanza something is coming and “tapping” at his insecurities and weaknesses (the
chamber door) due to him pondering and getting lost in thought.

Second Stanza

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

Nameless here for evermore.

We are quickly jolted from the scene of the stranger knocking at the door into the thoughts of the
speaker. Here, he pauses to educate the reader, that this sight was taking place during the “bleak”
December when “dying” embers from a fire were casting “ghost” like shadows on the floor. He was
wishing for the night to pass faster, desperately trying to escape the sadness of losing Lenore, by
busying himself in his books. It becomes very obvious that Lenore was someone important to him, as he
describes her as a “rare and radiant maiden”, and it also becomes evident that she had died since she
was now “nameless forevermore” in the world.

The air of suspense continues to build as Poe shifts the narrative from the tapping on the door to the
thoughts of the character. This could also portray that the character himself is avoiding answering the
door. If we look at the door symbolizing his weaknesses and insecurities we can easily understand why
he would want to avoid opening up to whatever was tapping on it. The diction in this stanza (bleak,
separate, dying, ghost, sought, sorrow and lost) also emphasizes the theme of loss that unfolds in this
poem. We can see that Poe is already hinting to the readers the cause of the characters insecurities.

The second line in this stanza also foreshadows the end of the poem as it illustrates dying “embers”
casting shadows on the floor, it is portraying how trapped the character will be in the shadows of loss.
What exactly has he lost? We find that the character is pining for Lenore, a woman who was very dear to
him (a girlfriend or wife perhaps) whom he can no longer be with as she has died and is in the company
of angels. She becomes “nameless” (again underlining the theme of loss) to him because she does not
exist in his world anymore. For him, she is forever lost.

Third Stanza

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating

“’Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door—

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—

This it is and nothing more.”

The movement of the curtains, even seem “sad” and “uncertain” to him. Watching these curtains rustle
and listening to the knocking was turning his miserable and quiet mood into one of anxiety and fear. To
calm himself and his quickening heartbeat, he repeated to himself that it was just some visitor who had
come to see him in these late hours and “nothing more”.

Poe has provided details of the room and its belongings throughout the poem that observably symbolize
the feelings of the character. This stanza demonstrates a focus on the emotional state of the character.
The purple curtains can easily represent his healing wounds (as purple is the colour of a bruise that is in
the beginning stages of recovery); and they are described as sad and uncertain. From this, we can note
that the loss of Lenore has left him feeling exactly that: sad and uncertain. This bruise of his “thrilled”
him, because it opened the door to thoughts and feelings the character had never ventured before. As
he thought about opening the door of insecurities to whatever was knocking at them he becomes
excited and terrified at the same time. To calm his fears, he repeats to himself that he’s sure nothing will
come out of it.

Fourth Stanza

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;—

Darkness there and nothing more.

The character begins to build some confidence as he draws closer towards the door to see who would
come to see him at such an hour. He calls out saying sorry ‘Sir’ or ‘Madame’, he had been napping and
the ‘tapping’ at the door was so light that he wasn’t even sure that there was actually someone knocking
at the door, at first. As he is saying this, he opens the door only to find nothing but the darkness of the
night.

As he prepares himself to open the door of his insecurities and weaknesses to whatever awaits, he really
has to push through his hesitation. He calls put saying he wasn’t sure whether there was anything there
so he hadn’t bothered to open the door and when he finally did, he found nothing. The suspense is
heightened after finding nothing but darkness. The reader understands that the character found nothing
but darkness waiting for him through his insecurities and weaknesses; nothing but a black hole. This is
not different to what anyone would find when they look internally and finally decide to open up and see
through all the things that make them think less of themselves; they find a world of darkness (suffering
and difficulty). It is not easy to look into yourself and your uncertainties to recognize your suffering and
hardships. The character, does not find it easy either.

Fifth Stanza

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore?”

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”—

Merely this and nothing more.

Finding nothing on the other side of the door, leaves him stunned. He stands there staring into the
darkness with his mind racing. How could he have heard the clear continuous knocking at the door only
to find nothing…physical? Now because he had been pining for Lenore, she quickly comes to mind, so he
whispers her name into the empty night ‘Lenore?’ and an echo whispers back ‘Lenore!’.

Poe emphasizes how stunned the character is at looking into the hardships and suffering of his life (the
darkness) through the wide opened door of his insecurity (the chamber door) by stating that he began
to doubt himself and his expectations of what he would find. He expected to find a visitor ( sympathy)
but instead found empty darkness ( suffering). The character finally makes a bold move he utters from
his mouth what facing the suffering forced him to think of: Lenore. To his surprise from his suffering
came back a voice saying Lenore and nothing more. This exposes that the sole core of his suffering was
truly Lenore and he had to open that door of his self-doubt and weakness to figure it out.

Sixth Stanza

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.

“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice;

Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—

’Tis the wind and nothing more!”

The narrator finally turns away from the empty doorway, full of fire; he had just heard her name
whispered back to him, was he insane? Was any of this real? ‘Soon again’, he hears tapping; this time
louder than before and it gives the impression that it was coming from the window this time. Again his
heart starts to beat faster, as he moves towards the window wanting to “explore” this mystery. He tells
himself that it must be the wind and ‘nothing more’.

The character finally snaps out of his shock and closes the door. He realizes his fears to be true. The one
thing that he has no control over is truly the only thing causing him weakness: the loss of Lenore. Then
he hears a tapping by the window and this window represents realization for our character. He has now
realized his fear through his weaknesses and suffering that he will forever have to live with the fact that
he has lost Lenore. He is hesitant to embrace the realization (he hesitates to open the window), but he
now wants to explore this newfound awareness.

Seventh Stanza

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

He makes an effort to fling open the window, and with a little commotion, in comes a raven. The
narrator describes the raven as one who looked rather royal, and like it belonged in the righteous or
impressive times of the past. The raven does not even acknowledge the speaker, and he simply flies in
with the airs of an aristocrat, and rests on the statue above the chamber door of “Pallas” (also known as
Athena the goddess of wisdom). Then, it just sits there doing “nothing more”.

When the character embraces the realization of the cause of his insecurity (opens the window), The
raven comes flying in. The raven is the most important symbol in this poem, which explains the title. This
raven is signifying the loss that the character has suffered. Through the window of realization, his loss
comes flying in to face him. The raven is described to be grand in its demeanor, much like the loss of
Lenore that intimidates him. Ge is quite fascinated by it and glorifies it. The interesting thing to note
here is that thed raven takes a seat on the statue of Pallas (Athena goddess of wisdom) which discloses
to the reader that this feeling of loss and grief that the character is feeling is literally sitting on his
wisdom. It has overpowered his rational thought.
Eighth Stanza

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.”

The entrance of this raven actually puts a smile on the face of the narrator. The bird was so out of place
in his chamber but it still “wore” a serious expression as it sat there. The speaker then turns to treat the
raven as noble individual and asks him what his name is in a very dramatic manner. The raven simply
replies with ‘nevermore’.

When given the chance to face his loss and grief so directly, it seems amusing to the character. So he
speaks to the bird. He asks it’s (the bird/his grief) name, as it looked so grand and uncowardly even
though it came from the world of suffering (the dark night). The raven spoke and said “nevermore”. His
feelings of grief and loss (the raven) are reminding him of his greatest pain : nevermore. The raven
speaks to him clearly and relays to him that what he had the deepest desire for in this life of his, is now
strictly nevermore.