The real romantics are mysteries, and Edgar Allan Poe is no exception. Poe’s life was marked by tragedy, most importantly with the deaths of four beloved women in his life: His mother, his foster mother, his best friends mother (with whom he was in love), and his wife. With most other people in his life, Poe held dysfunctional and troubled relationships, especially with his foster father. Poe became an acclaimed writer, critic, and editor; he is best known for his poem The Raven. This work is an example of romanticism because it pulls together romantic themes of passion, fascination with the supernatural, and the influence of the imagination.
The romantic element of passion is probably the most important theme in The Raven. For example, the narrator’s passion for his deceased love is shown when he says “- 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 named Lenore – Nameless here forever more.” This quote shows how the narrator has undying devotion to the woman he loves, who is dead. This is also a common theme for Poe to idolize beloved women.
The narrator soon grows passionate about the mysterious raven he sees, saying “But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door; Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking ‘Nevermore'” In this verse it is revealed that the narrator has now become undyingly devoted to figuring out the secret behind the raven. The long lasting loyalty the narrator constantly evokes is an example of the romantic element of passion.
The Raven is an example of fascination with the supernatural. For example, the last verse of the poem the narrator describes the Raven as, “…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…” This creepy image is an example of how the raven has begun to haunt the narrator instead of help him. Poe is describing what is a seemingly harmless raven as a demonic creature, thus evoking the supernatural undertones of The Raven.
Yet another blood curdling excerpt is when the narrator says, “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 darkness 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.” It would seem as though the narrator is expecting a ghost of his long lost love to appear before him. These frightening images show the romantic interest in unearthly matters.
Irrationality is a major part of The Raven, and is a common theme in romantic works. For example, the narrator imagines that the raven has come to him to relieve his sorrows over Lenore. This irrationality is the beginning of the narrator’s eventual descent into madness. The narrator also calls the raven a “thing of evil”. This unreasonable thought is evidence of the narrator’s complete desertion of rational thought. Irrationality is common in romanticism, but complete insanity is something Poe is specifically known for.
