Is the Raven in Edgar’s poem real or imaginary?
Have you ever been so distraught at losing a loved one you feel yourself go a little insane? As your brain tries to help you develop coping mechanisms, you may feel like you’re losing your mind sometimes. In Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” we witness just this. After dealing with the loss of his lover, the narrator isolates himself from the world in an effort to cope with his loss. He begins hearing sounds of knocking on his door and window, it was then that a raven appeared. The raven seems to be a symbol of his sorrow and despair for the loss of his loved one. Knowing the raven only responds with the word “nevermore”, the narrator still asks the raven question after question, knowing what answer he’s going to get in return. The definition of insanity, as defined by Albert Einstein is “repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results”(Joseph Coolhill “Professor Buzzkill”). In other words, he’s creating his own torture. His mind has developed this imaginary raven, which is often associated with loss, during this tragic time of despair.
In the passage, the narrator stated “Other friends have flown before — On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.”(stanza 10) showing that the narrator has lost friends, along with hope, before, and that the raven is no different, that it will soon leave him, too. It’s also quite strange to refer to his friends as “Flying away” like they’re birds. Was the speaker just using a clever analogy, or was this a way to inadvertently let us know that the raven is just a symbol of his loss? This also proves to the readers that he has had many losses before. He also exclaims “Leave my loneliness unbroken!”(stanza 17) telling us that he just wants to be left alone to grieve his loss. As he continues on “Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!” (stanza 17), but of course this was after he asked the raven if he will be with Lenore again after death and, just as he does, the raven replied “nevermore”. Although he knows that’s all the bird can say, he still takes all of this to heart. Wallowing even more in self-pity and heartache, unable to find relief. This statement is clearly a figurative expression, since the bird’s beak is not actually in his heart. But does “take thy form from off my door” mean the raven really is just all in his head and is simply a figment of his imagination from the immense grief and sorrow that he’s feeling?
I, personally, believe that the raven is not real. Whether it’s a figment of his imagination because of grief and sorrow or it’s a symbol of it. Grief can be an intense emotion, and can affect the mind and body in so many ways. As he states he’s had many losses and has lost all hope along with it, I feel his mind is so engorged with grief and sorrow that he’s not in the most sane state of mind. Especially while he keeps questioning the raven when he knows he only responds with “nevermore”. Since loss tends to bring up memories and emotions from other losses in your life, it can be quite overwhelming to handle, especially if you’ve lost a lot.
Joseph Coolhill-web source: professorbuzzkill.com/einstein-insanity-qnq/
