On January 29 in the year 1845, the famous American poet and author Edgar Allan Poe wrote what may be his magnum opus, The Raven. This poem is synonymous with American literature and has had a profound impact on pop culture. From being adapted by The Simpsons in their Treehouse of Horrors subseries, to becoming the main plot focus of The Raven, a lackluster film described by one reviewer as "Se7en and Saw meets Misery", it has made its mark on modern pop culture. But a question always remains open at the end of the poem. That is, "What the hell was that bird?" Although many people believe that these may have just been the crazy ramblings of a drunk and drugged Poe, I like to believe that there is a deeper meaning behind the poem. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay The Crow is a dark, gothic poem that describes the nameless narrator's terrifying night as he encounters a crow flying into his room. While the speaker is mourning the loss of his beloved, Lenore, he asks the raven a question in jest. Although he is surprised to hear the bird respond with the simple phrase, "Never again." Surprised by the bird's response and deeply saddened by the loss of his love, he asks the bird many questions regarding his presence. Instead of getting clear answers, the bird simply replies, “Never again.” Eventually, the speaker gives up and tries to go back to sleep, but the raven remains in the narrator's room, hidden in the shadows, in the doorway arch. This can represent many ideas regarding the topics of religion and mourning. There are many references to Christian, Roman, Norse, and Greek mythology within the poem. With references to Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld, using the phrase "Plutonian Shore of Night" with the shore representing the underworld. Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, is mentioned as what the raven perches on as it speaks to the narrator. This is seen as ironic because the speaker sees the raven as this sense of wisdom that can help him find relief from his pain. Meanwhile, the main feeling that perhaps there is an afterlife where the narrator can finally reunite with his love can be seen as a direct relation to the Christian belief in Heaven and Hell. Because the poem ends so abruptly without a clear ending, this can be left to various interpretations, one of the most prominent beliefs being that the narrator is responsible in some way for Lenore's death. It would make sense since the raven is seen as a symbol of death, and the pain the narrator is going through may be due to the fact that he is the cause, or somehow responsible for the death of his love. There are many contextual clues that can lead to this. Within the poem, it is stated that there is a constant and disturbing feeling of a darker presence in the room. A direct quote from the poem stating that "the air grew thicker, scented by an invisible censer." As a darker presence perhaps it follows the bird around. But what seems more likely is the belief that the Crow himself is the physical embodiment of death. Although much less so than the typical robed skeleton, he is seen as a bird who knows much, but reveals little. The raven refuses to give the speaker an answer, even when he asks if he will ever see his love again in the afterlife, with the only response being "Never again." With the raven hiding in the shadows of the speaker hall, this can represent the grief that never truly leaves the speaker, because the death of the loved one will always be in his hands, and instead of taking him now, death leaves him to a fateworse, living with guilt. In a way, the Crow's behavior in the poem bears a resemblance to the fourth ghost in Charles Dickens' novel, A Christmas Carol, which came out two years before the poem. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come Shares the same characteristics as the raven. Both represent death, but more as a silent guide, interacting with the main character as more like a silent taskmaster. However, in the ghost Scrooge is informed of what may happen, while the Crow is the looming blame for what the narrator may have already done. This appears to be the story told in the poem, but it may be deeper than previously thought. . Perhaps the Crow's real-life inspiration hidden in the words, which if it were the true intent, would make it all the more tragic. In poetry, an important detail that can be overlooked is that the speaker does not have a name, he is simply called the speaker or narrator. It could be that Poe is simply being minimalist due to the darker themes within the poem, but what if this was intended? The narrator is Edgar Allen Poe. Throughout his life, Poe faced many hardships, from the death of his parents when he was only three years old, to being adopted and sent to school but kicked out for gambling debts, to joining the army but being forced to leave due to financial difficulties, many deaths and hardships that followed him throughout his life, he was a very tortured soul. During his final years, he struggled with heavy alcoholism, drug use, poverty, and depression, which may have led to his death in 1849, four years after the publication of The Raven. This is something that has consistently been a part of his life in one way or another, which may have led to his inspiration to write all the dark material he has. Since this is the case in his life, this might make sense because he would be the narrator of the story. He was tormented by all these terrible things that happened to him and the people close to him. He may feel survivor's guilt because of the death and illness that followed him, but never truly reached him directly. While his wife died of tuberculosis two years after the poem was written, Lenore may represent someone who was still close to him, but had died and he was grieving over it. Meanwhile the raven is the embodiment of death that seems to follow Poe. While Poe in the story begs the raven, or death, for answers, trying to find comfort with the belief that there is something for everyone after death, there is no answer to be given. Only death can say “Never again” as if to mean that there is no real answer because no one knows what really happens when you die. This is something that haunts Poe, the lack of certainty of an afterlife where everything is better. Because Poe has struggled with depression and many unfortunate events in his life, he may see death as the only thing to look forward to, as the only true thing. way to escape his misery. That's why it's funny when the bird comes to visit him, he almost seems to welcome the entity until he responds with the disturbing phrase. So as he asks and is given nothing, he becomes determined that there is no real relief from this darkness. So if the Raven represents the death that follows Poe throughout his life, why does he take it once and for all? Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay From his struggles with depression and unhealthy habits, such as drinking, gambling, and drugs, he may have been trying to end it all this time. However, since it is not.