The Symbolism Of Death In Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven

I was trying to get some sleep after a long day of doing my daily chores. My thoughts are the only thing keeping me awake. I miss my wife Lenore too much. I miss her sleeping next to me every night. I miss the way she used to hold me so tight. My wife’s death is causing me a lot of grief. I decided to grab a book from my humongous library, I’ve always loved collecting books. Books are my temporary escape from this grief. I grabbed an old folktale that I haven't read in so long. It always cheered me up a little bit when I got really upset. I started reading the book and I started getting drowsy. I was suddenly interrupted by a loud tapping at my chamber door. I was startled, I started shaking, terror filling my heart. I tried to convince myself that it was just a late night visitor and nothing to be frightened about but, The rustling of the purple colored curtains planted great fear in my heart.

I tried paying no attention to the tapping at the door but curiosity took over me and my thoughts grew louder and louder. I eventually stopped hesitating and decided to open the chamber door. “ really sorry I’m extremely tired couldn't tell if I was hearing right or not” I apologized to the visitor for taking so long to open the door. I was taken by surprise when I opened the chamber door to reveal darkness and nothing more. I stood by the door wondering and fearing. I whispered into the darkness “Lenore”, only to hear the sound of an echo whisper back “Lenore”. Everything reminds me of her, even complete darkness.

I go back to the chamber, my mind racing with thoughts about the tapping at the door, my thoughts get interrupted by a tapping at the window. I open the window and a huge raven flies in and it sits on the bust of pallas above my chamber door. I walk up to the beautiful majestic raven that looks like it rules hell. “What is your name”I ask the raven expecting no reply. “Nevermore” replies the raven. “Nevermore?” I mutter, “what does that mean?” I ask myself. My mind started racing with reasons, eventually I just assume that the raven’s previous owner must’ve been really depressed with a miserable life that all he could say was nevermore and that eventually the bird started saying it too.

I’m certain that no one has ever had a bird perching on their chamber door named “Nevermore”. After the raven said the word nevermore it stayed silent it didn't even budge in the slightest. This bird is no longer my amusing visitor, it will leave me and abandoned me by tomorrow just like all of my other friends do. My thoughts are interrupted once again when the raven says “nevermore”. Is that all it knows to say? I started growing frustrated I want the raven to say something else. However it is still a really fascinating bird. I pulled a chair and sat in front of the raven and I started staring at it. I sit on the chair and think, I imagine the fiery eyes of the raven burning into my soul. I look across the room and my eyes come across the velvet cushion chair, and it takes me back to those nights when my wife Lenore would sit on the velvet cushioned chair. She would tell me the greatest stories I have ever heard then we would both fall asleep to the sound of the fire burning in the fireplace we both found that sound strangely relaxing. She is never going to sit on that chair again, I will never hear her tell those stories again. I miss her so much, it hurts so bad.

I started to imagine the air growing denser from an invisible censer held by angels. “Help me forget Lenore” I begged. I want a potion to forget her I cannot handle the pain and the sorrow anymore. The raven speaks “nevermore”. I am filled with anger and rage. The raven keeps making my pain worse. It is a thing of evil it is the devil. “Where ever you came from tell me, is there a relief from all this suffering?” I ask the raven. “Nevermore” the raven replies crushing all of my hope of a relief from all this sorrow and pain.

“Tell me thing of evil, is there a Lenore in heaven?” I asked the raven hoping for a different answer. Hoping for an answer that would stop my heart from aching so bad. Hoping for an answer that would help me sleep the night, but still the raven answers “Nevermore”. “That’s it Leave, go back to the evil place you came from, and do not leave any trace of you being here, don’t even leave a single feather and get off my chamber door.” I scream out at the raven. To which the raven answers “nevermore”. I freeze in my place like a statue, a glowing horrifying demon statue. My grief will never leave me. I will always feel the pain and sorrow. I will never forget my wife. The raven will always be there and will never leave me, just like my grief, it’s like my own personal hell.