Literary Devices Used by Edgar Allan Poe - Essay Example

It is like he gets some pleasure through remembering the death of Lenore but the raven makes him face the stark reality that she is not coming back. In this Poem, Poe uses a range of literary devices from symbolism, imagery, and other poetic devices to bring out the desired effects (Sova & Sova, 2008). This article analysis giving examples of the literary devices that Poe uses in The Raven.

The poet uses a variety of symbolism. A symbol is something that can be used as a sign for something else. It can be obvious or subtle. In this poem, the symbolism is very obvious. For instance, the raven is used to symbolize the grief and never-ending sorrow that the narrators face. He engages in a conversation with the Raven and this makes him realize that the love of his life would never return. When reality hits him, the narrator now sees the raven as an incarnation of evil. He says that the raven had evil eyes and that it cast a shadow over his soul. The raven is also used to create a conflict between the two worlds of darkness and light. Lenore is described as being radiant as the angels whom she is enjoined. The narrator’s house is also illuminated by white busts of Pallas and this contrasts the deep darkness outside the house. The raven on the other hand is a symbol of darkness. He casts a dark shadow upon the narrator’s soul. The fact that he perches on the sculpture that represents wisdom further underscores the powerlessness of education and learning to deal with despair and loss.

The poet uses different forms of imagery to illustrate his themes. Among them is the use of allusions. There are allusions in the poem that the narrator is a scholar. There is a sculpture of the goddess of wisdom. The narrator is also reading a book “many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore” which points to black magic. The “raven” which is associated with evil also alludes to magic. The narrator also voices his view that the Raven is from Pluto’s offshore which the afterlife is. The poet also alludes to nepenthe (Poe, Stedman, & Oswald, 2008). This is a mythological drug that one can take to forget their misery. The narrator is in deep grief and he might need this drug to uplift his moods. This drug is alluded to in lines 82-83 where the narrator in a daydream envisions that the room is filled with perfume and sees it as god’s way of helping him overcome his misery (Lippmann, 2005). Poe in writing this poem draws a lot from mythology and folklore. In the Bible, Noah sends out a white raven after the floods to see if the water had gone down. The raven took a long time to return and as a form of punishment, its color was turned to black.

There is the constant use of literary devices of repetition. The narrator repeatedly mentions the name of Lenore which could be used to show the deep love that he has for her. “Nothing more” is also repeated in the sixth stanza as a sign of the end of the life of Lenore. It also shows the feeling of emptiness that the narrator feels after the death. He now gets the sense that he will never have the chance of seeing Lenore or even hold her in his arms anymore.

‘Tis the wind and nothing more!” is in one stanza. In another stanza: ”Merely this and nothing more” (Poe, Stedman, & Oswald, 2008).

There is also the use of rhyming words where there is repetition of sounds within a line. Example of that is “tapping” and “rapping” which creates some form of rhythm (Poe, Stedman, & Oswald, 2008). There is the use of rhyming words in the whole poem and this has created rhythm. There is also the use of alliteration which is the repetition of the initial consonant sounds which also creates rhythm. An example of alliteration is found in the first stanza is “Weak and weary”. Another example is “The angels, not half so happy in heaven” (Schlegel, 2007). There is also the use of assonance which is the repletion of vowel sounds. An example is the use of “dreary” and “weary” on the same line. The assonance and alliteration are used to achieve a desired effect such as increasing suspense or emphasizing the mood at that moment.

The above-mentioned devices are among the different literary techniques that Poe uses in the raven. They have been very successful considering that this poem has been a standard of comparison for upcoming poets. Poe uses these devices to create a unity of effect that resulted in the creation of this exemplary poem.