Poe's The Raven

By first establishing the setting, Poe presents the readers with a drowsy, downcast feel. The character in the poem enters the frame with extreme drowsiness and unwillingness. From his speech it is already hinted that he could have cared less about worldly matters. Through the perspective of the character he narrates the horrible scenery of December as both bleak and dying, but the delight of Lenore suddenly enriches his thoughts. It is noted that he turned to the books for the occupation of his thoughts from this maiden, whom essence he had longed yet lost. 

However, when the character perceives a series of knocking on his chamber door, he hesitantly opens though received no guests. He aches for Lenore, but Lenore was no more. The rhymes in these stanzas have all ended with the similar word: Nevermore. The lingo in which the author utilized expresses the sadness and emptiness in which the character has to endure. To fill his loneliness, perhaps, the character talks frantically toward the Raven. He asks the Raven for his name plainly, though is aghast at the fact that it responds. Out of his curiosity and of his madness, he asks questions that fit perfectly of the answer: nevermore. 

The character, as I believe, may have consciously already acknowledges the answer to his questions; however, the Raven may have just simply acted as a symbol of his ignorance. Until the bird’s intrusion, the character did not realize the loss he has been besieged upon by his love, Lenore. Then, he acted savagely to the bird for that he did not want to hear those answers. For example, he knows very well that he needs to forget Lenore, though the Raven responds: nevermore. This clearly supports the fact of the two conflicting personalities of this character. This character then, is dealing with first, loss, second, sorrow, and third, conflicting personalities. The symbol of the long-casting shadow of the Raven, thus, represent the loss of sanity that long stretches over the character.