The Raven of Death

As the title displays it, it is pretty obvious that one of the main symbols in "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe is the raven.Throughout the poem, the raven represents the suffering of the narrator. In the poem, the narrator repeats oftenly the name Lenor: "From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore" (10-11). This repetition seems as if Lenor was a person who meant a lot for the narrator. The diction chosen to describe his feelings makes the reader believe that the narrator is mourning for the woman he loves.

Other aspects of the poem which makes me think that the narrator is mourning, is the fact that the raven oftenly repeats: "Nevermore." This repetition makes it seems as if the raven is trying to tell the narrator that he would never see Leonor again. Through this characterization, the raven symbolizes the suffering and pain that comes attached with death.