Birds of Death

In Edgar Allen Poe's, "The Raven," he talks about the pain that comes after losing someone you love; in his case, Lenore. "Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December; And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow;—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 name Lenore-Nameless here for evermore." (lines 7-12) He begins by describing the solitude felt when a person has left you. Then he tells of the great pain that takes over your body. You find a million things to do to take your mind off of the tragedy, but nothing seems to be enough, or nothing seems to distract you enough so that you may be happy.

I cannot relate to the loss of a family member, but i can relate to the loss of my dog. I remember that the pain was devastating. The whole family cried and mourned for her, because she was a very important family member to us. Loneliness was felt all over the house at all times, especially when we got home from school. There was no tail wagging excitement to greet us after a long day at school. We did many things so not to be locked up in the house where her presence was the strongest, but nothing seemed to be enough.

Later in the poem, Poe brings in the symbolism of the raven. A raven is a very old literary symbol for death or darkness. When Poe depicts the raven to be on his chamber door, he means that there has recently been a death in that place. The raven seems to be mocking him in his mourning. He seems to be looking searching for another prey, which he can feed off of his or her misery. The raven says "nevermore" as if to be speaking about Lenore's return. Is this true? Could it be Poe going mad? This is a normal symptom for people who have suffered such grand tragedies. The pain they undergo is too much for them to bear; therefore, their minds play tricks on them.