Verified Document

Women In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven," Term Paper

¶ … women in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven," "Annabel Lee," and "The Fall of the House of Usher." Poe's tragic personal past with women in his life, notably the loss of both his wife and mother to tragic illness (Benton), is clearly reflected within all three of Poe's masterful works. In "The Raven" Poe faces the truth that the shadow on his heart over the death of the "rare and radiant" Lenore will never be lifted. Further, in "Annabel Lee," Poe once again mourns the tragic death of a beautiful woman whom he loved dearly. In "The Fall of the House of Usher" Poe again explores the loss of a young, beautiful woman who dies tragically before her time. However, this story explores Poe's horror and terror at the circumstance of the young woman's death, rather than a simple exploration of his grief, as seen in "The Raven" and "Annabel Lee." Clearly, all three works demonstrate the depth of Poe's grief and horror over the early and tragic loss of two of the most important women in his life, his wife and mother. Poe's depictions remain relevant to readers of all ages and nationalities, as they speak to the universal misery of tragic loss and mourning.

In the poem, "The Raven," Poe's explores his emotions over the loss of a "rare and radiant" young woman, Lenore. He speaks about the beauty of Lenore, and clearly sees her a sort of saint or angel. The raven represents death within the poem, and the raven's appearance at Poe's door represents the arrival of death that took Poe's young wife. In the poem, the raven is seen as "so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door," symbolizing the death that came to take Poe's wife, and that would soon claim him as well....

The raven sits on the bust of the goddess Pallas (who is the Greek goddess of wisdom), clearly representing woman as wise. Poe asks, the raven, perched on the head of the wise goddess if there is life after death, and the bird repeats "Nevermore." Poe's anguish is seen when he asks the same question in reference to Lenore, asking if death shall "shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore -- Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels name Lenore." However, the raven still replies, "Nevermore." We see the depth of Poe's grief at the loss of Lenore, and symbolically his young wife in his life, in closing lines of "The Raven," And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted -- nevermore."
Poe's poem "Annabel Lee" recounts the perfect love of the narrator and his child bride Annabel Lee. As in the Raven, Poe delves into the tragic loss of a beautiful woman within the lines of "Annabel Lee." Annabel Lee's similarity in age to Poe's young real-life bride is striking, and the poem can be seen as a reflection of Poe's grief over the loss of his young wife. As in "The Raven," Poe focuses on the beauty of the young woman who dies tragically. The stars and the moon even remind the narrator of the young woman's beauty after her tragic death. "Annabel Lee" focuses primarily on the depth of the feelings of between the two young lovers, while "The Raven" focuses more clearly on the grief at the loss of the young woman. In "Annabel Lee," the narrator tells a tale of a kingdom by the sea, where both he and…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Benton, Richard P. Friends and Enemies: Women in the Life of Edgar Allan Poe. Adapted from: Myths and Reality, Baltimore: The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore, 1987. Last Update: Nov. 16, 1998. 29 October 2002. http://www.eapoe.org/papers/psbbooks/pb19871c.htm

Poe, Edgar Allen. The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe. English Server.org. The University of Washington. 29 October 2002.

Reproduced at http://eserver.org/books/poe
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Edgar Allan Poe Namely, the Raven, Annabel
Words: 4120 Length: 13 Document Type: Term Paper

Edgar Allan Poe namely, The Raven, Annabel Lee and the Spirit of the Dead. This paper compares the themes and tones of the three poems. This paper also lays emphasis on some events that took place in the poet's life and eventually drove him into writing such poetry. The paper also reviews the conditions, which lead to the death of a great poet, Edgar Allan Poe. Analysis of Poems by

Alfred Hitchcock and Edgar Allan Poe
Words: 1892 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Paper

Edgar Allan Poe as seen through the lens of Hitchcock Several authors have explored the aesthetic relationship between Edgar Allan Poe and Alfred Hitchcock, particularly writers like Dennis Perry and Donald Spoto among others. Although Poe has had major influence on many artists, (with Hitchcock demonstrating many of Poe's influences and gaining worldwide recognition for it) few have truly attempted to understand Poe. The only one who seems to have

Edger Allan Poe and Lewis Carroll
Words: 3647 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Edgar Allen Poe and Lewis Carroll: Unhealthy and Healthy Relationships With Women Edgar Allan Poe and Lewis Carroll are two writers where their relationships with women, and especially with young children have been questioned. The main issue with Poe is his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin Virginia. For Carroll, the issue is the strong relationships he had with young girls. For both writers, suggestions have been made that their relationships with

Bottle Biographical Context Edgar Allan Poe Did
Words: 1813 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Bottle Biographical Context Edgar Allan Poe did not have a happy childhood or life. The torment that he faced in his lifetime is reflected in his works. His father (David Poe Jr.) had abandoned the family when he was just 2 years old and his mother died soon after. He was placed in the care of a childless couple, John and Frances Allan, who doted on him but he was never

Edgar Allen Poe the Life
Words: 2250 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

The Raven Poe's famous poem, "The Raven," to most readers is a straightforward yet haunting, chilling tale of the loss of someone loved, and the troubling emotions and inner sensations that go along with a loss, no matter how the loss occurred. In this case, the "rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore..." is the one lost. Why did an angel name Lenore, one has to wonder? Is there

Edgar Allen Poe the Controversial
Words: 2753 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

Such evidence as there is can be taken up at a later time. But of one thing we can be sure. If Virginia was the prototype of Eleonora she was not the model for Morella or Berenice or Ligeia."(Quinn, 255) These feelings can also be inferred from Poe's letters to Mrs. Clemm, Virginia's mother: I am blinded with tears while writing this letter-- I have no wish to live another hour.

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now