In the poem, “The Raven” by Edgar Alan Poe, he uses many different elements as symbols. A raven is usually the symbol of something dark and sinister. A raven is also a sign of death. This poem also deals with losing hope, even though the narrator has no right to even have the small amount. This poem deals with his dead leave Lenore, and how the raven torments him into insanity.
Throughout the poem, the narrator is tormented by his lost love, Lenore, who came back in the form of a raven. Of course, it is only speculated that he killed her, but there are many clues that he has. He has only little hope of seeing Lenore again, as the ambers show in the fire. He was also so ridden by guilt that he was haunted by the image of her, the raven.
Also, the raven speaks one word, “Nevermore.” This shows that the narrator is being punished for something that he did. His punishment is immortality, which explains why he would never see Lenore again. Lenore is punishing him for what he did to her. She drives him into insanity, and the pain of knowing he will be lonely and insane forever is her retribution.
Then there is the knocking, a sign of endless guilt. The knocking goes on and on, driving him into insanity. The knocking jumbles his thoughts and makes him incoherent. Lenore wants him to suffer as much as he possibly can. She kept tapping at the door and then the window in order to make him never forget his guilt.
Poe used all of the right elements to portray a man tormented by guilt. The raven only crushed the faint hope of seeing his love again. Also, the one worded phrasing that the raven speaks is also a sign of guilt, which is tormenting the narrator. Then, there is the knocking, the repetitive knocking that starts to drive him insane. Poe portrayed a guilt ridden man very well in this poem.
