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Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven," written in 1845, has exerted a remarkable influence over the American imagination. This bleak, creepy yet sadly romantic poem has become a Halloween staple, appearing not only on the October lesson plans of high school English teachers but also in such rarified settings as the Simpsons Halloween Special.

What draws us to this tale? In no small part, its appeal lies in Poe's uncanny ability to capture the unsettled state of mind many of us descend into during the occasional lonely evening. With darkness desperate imaginings can struggle with and eventually overcome rationality, leading us to follow the hero of "The Raven" in cowering from unreal fears.

The poem's storyline takes the hero through a variety of mental states as he mourns his lost beloved Lenore. At first, he is frightened by the sound of knocking on the door of his room; is it the ghost of his beloved? Even though he wants more than anything to see her again, he is afraid to answer the door and confront her ghostly form.

Soon, the hero collects himself and checks the door to find that nobody is there. The tapping comes again, this time from the window. He assured himself that it is just the wind, steels himself once again and opens the shutter.

In flaps the raven. At first, the hero is glad to see the bird, which, he hopes, can distract him from his distress. He is particularly amused to hear the bird speak the word "Nevermore." What could be more fun than a talking bird?

Soon, the bird's limited vocabulary begins to drive the hero to desperation. The lonely man tries to converse with the raven, confiding his loneliness and grief. He says, for example ""Other friends have flown before; / On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before," "Quaff, O quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!" and "Tell this soul with sorrow laden, if, within the distant Aidenn, / It shall clasp a sainted maiden, whom the angels name Lenore- / Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels name Lenore?" To each of these statements and questions, the raven replies "Nevermore."

Taking the bird's utterances to heart, the hero is maddened with grief and orders the bird to leave. Of course, the raven again replies "Nevermore." We leave the hapless hero despairing of ever seeing his love again, and also of removing the raven from the statue of Athena over his chamber door.

Anyone who has felt irrationally afraid at night can empathize with the hero in this poem. Poe masterfully takes us along the psychological journey suffered by the bereaved lover. It is no wonder that this macabre masterpiece continues to haunt our English textbooks and our popular culture.

Learn more about this author, Beth Szczepanski.
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