Use of Symbols and Symbolism in Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven

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Use of Symbols and Symbolism in Edgar Allen Poe's “The Raven”

Literature would not be the same if the author didn’t take symbolism into account while writing the piece. One of the world’s best writer’s, Edgar Allen Poe, is a superb example of this representation that has intrigued mankind for centuries. Poe uses various forms of symbolism to play off the emotions of his readers. Using elements of nature, dread, superstition, and legend, Poe can create a world of trepidation in the minds of the readers; his poems and stories would not be the same without these elements. In his poem, “The Raven”, Poe has added unique elements to scare his readers, fascinate them to read on, and find themselves in an alternate world of mystery and lost hopes.

The most obvious symbol is the raven itself. When Poe had decided to repeat the word "nevermore," he found that it would be most effective if he used a non-reasoning creature to utter the word. It would make little sense to use a human, since the human could reason to answer the questions the man asks the bird. It is important that the answ...

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