The Romantic Characteristics of

The Raven

The Raven, written by Edgar Allan Poe is one of his famous pieces of work. American literature considers The Raven one of the greatest poems ever written for its use of symbolism. The Raven symbolizes fear of the truth that Lenore is dead and he can do nothing to change her death. The Raven consists of three Romantic Characteristics, imagination over reason, use of supernatural, and accent of mystery.

Poe uses imagination over reason to so the Raven as an evil being, not one of good. He is trying to say the Raven is the Devil or one of the Devil's messengers there to torcher him for the rest of his life by telling him that he will never see his Lenore again, in this life or the next life. He also makes it seem is the Raven is Lenore saying that he and Lenore will never be able to see or hold each other ever again, in either world. By the Raven symbolizing these characters, he is saying that the Raven knows all past, present, and future of his life. Poe is making the Raven out as a type of prophet that can control his future in the after life.

Poe now uses accent on mystery to make the Raven out as a prophet of his future to come in his after life not knowing if his after life is in the lair of demons, Hell or in the house of Angels, Heaven. In the poem, Poe makes the Raven out as a bird of knowledge, but he also makes it out to where the reader is never able to specify if it is a bird of knowledge or just a normal bird. When the Raven says the word nevermore, it makes the Raven out as the Devil or one of the Devils messengers tormenting him, but in reality the bird could have learned the word from his previous master. The Raven also appears as a messenger of the Devil.

Poe now uses the Romantic Characteristic of the use of the supernatural, by the Raven seeming as the Devil or his messenger in that the Raven is there nothing but to make his life a living Hell on earth. The Raven shows characteristics of Lenore, when the smell of the Raven resembled the one of his dead Lenore. Poe places the Raven on the head of Athena -- goddess of wisdom, he is to say the Raven is all knowing in knowledge. Poe is saying the Raven is key to all knowledge by being perched on the Pallas of Athena. In the poem The Raven, E.A. Poe shows his writing to be one of the greatest in the Romantic period.

The Romantic period considers Poe one of the founders of Romantic writing. The Raven is one of the many poems produced in this period, but one of only a hand full to survive the ages. The romantic characteristics in the Raven are just some of many characteristics of this period. Poe in the poem makes the Raven as a symbol of the unknown, to symbolize what is unknown and not found in any world, language, or religion.