The Raven

             And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!- .
             This I whispered, (22, 25, 28-29).
             The tapping continues, but instead of Lenore appearing in his dream, a raven enters and perches upon his chamber door. The introduction of the raven allows Poe to have the narrator expose his unrest thru conversation. The narrator initially welcomes the raven as an amusing surprise. "Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,""(43). Poe has the narrator give the bird personality qualities, " grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,""(44) to set the stage for conversation to take place. The narrator addresses the raven, hoping it is some authority figure, " thou, I said, art sure no craven,"Tell me what thy lordly name is' -(45, 47). Poe has the narrator address the raven as though it is some authority figure to show that the narrator is desperate to know where Lenore is. The narrator is pleased to hear the raven talk. "Much I marveled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,""(49) even though it didn't make sense, "Though its answer little meaning "little relevancy bore-(50). Thus Poe lets the reader know how truly alone the narrator feels. .
             Poe has the raven give the same response over and over again, to make a point that the narrator will never get the answers he wants to hear. The narrator becomes frustrated with the raven because he keeps on giving him that same response. "What grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking Nevermore'-(71-72). Suddenly, Poe has the narrator's mood change from amusement to irritation. Poe has the narrator get angry at the raven, to show how he is unable to accept the truth. "To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core-(73). This gives the reader a sense of how miserable the narrator is by Lenore's death and his inability to accept her death. Poe shows the sorrow of the narrator to share with the reader how much Lenore meant to him.