"The Raven"

Literal Translation:
-Once at midnight while I was weak and thinking about a lot of forgotten lore, I was almost asleep when suddenly I hear rapping that sounded like someone gently knocking on my bedroom door.
-I said to myself, “It is only a visitor knocking on my door and nothing else.”
-I distinctly remember that it was the middle of December and every dying ember could be seen going out.
-I wished for tomorrow to come; I had vainly wished that my books would give me an end to my sorrow-sorrow for the lost Lenore, the beautiful girl the angels call Lenore, nameless here forever.
-And the rustling of the curtains thrilled me and filled me with terrors; so now, to calm my heart, I said to myself “It is only a late visitor who is knocking at my bedroom door and nothing else.”
-My heart grew strong; so I waited no longer, I said “Sir or Madam, please forgive me; but I was napping and you knocked so gently, I was not sure I heard you,” then I opened the door and nothing was there.
-I stood looking into the darkness for a long time, dreaming things no mortal had ever dreamed; but nothing happened, the only wound was my whispered “Lenore!” which was returned by an echo, “Lenore!” and nothing else.
-I turned around and my heart was pounding, soon I heard more knocking.
-“Surely that is something at my window,” I said; “Let me see what it is and explore this mystery, calm down, heart, and let me explore this mystery; it is only the wind.”
-Here I opened my shutter and a Raven from days past stepped in.
-He did not show respect; he did not stop or stay for a minute; but he perched on a bust above my bedroom door, a bust of Athena, just perched and sat and nothing else.
-The black bird twisted me into thinking it smiled, by the stern face it wore, I said “Though your feathers are gone you are not a coward, ghastly, ancient Raven, from the Nightly shore-tell me your lordly name on Pluto’s shore!”
-The Raven said “Nevermore.”
-I marveled at the clear conversation, though its answer had little meaning or relevancy; For we all agree that no human could see a bird above his bedroom door, bird or beast on the sculpture above his door with a name like “Nevermore”.
-But the Raven, sitting on the peaceful bust, said only that one word, as if that was his whole soul.
-He said nothing more and did not move until I said “He will leave tomorrow, like my other dreams.”
-Then it said “Nevermore.”
-Startled that it replied at such a time, I said “Surely this is only what the bird picked up from an unhappy master whom Disaster followed until his songs only talked about Never and Nevermore.”
-But the Raven, still tricking me into thinking he was smiling, I moved a cushioned seat to right in front of the bird, bust, and door; then, sitting down, I forced myself to start figuring out what the bird meant in saying “Nevermore”.
-This I sat pondering, not speaking to the bird who stared me down to my inmost core; I sat figuring out this and more, my head laid back, on the cushion the lamplight went over but that she would touch nevermore.
-Then, the air became more dense, perfumed with a hidden censer swung by Seraphim whose footsteps tinkled on the floor.
-I cried “Wretch! Your God lent you and sent you with these angels, give me respite and nepenthe to keep me from thinking of Lenore, drink this nepenthe and forget Lenore!”
-The Raven said “Nevermore.”
-I said “Prophet! Evil thing! Prophet, whether bird or devil! Whether sent by the devil or here because of storms, alone but not scared, stuck on this desert land, at this house, forever with horror, tell me truly, will I ever be relieved of my suffering? Tell me, I beg you!”
- The Raven said “Nevermore.”
- said “Prophet! Evil thing! Prophet, whether bird or devil! By Heaven above and the God we both adore, tell this sorrowful soul if in the coming Eden, I shall hold a girl the angels call Lenore, hold a beautiful girl the angels call Lenore.”
-The Raven said “Nevermore.”
-I said “Then let that word be the last, bird or devil! Get back into the storm and near Pluto! Leave no feathers signifying your speech! Leave me in my loneliness! Leave the bust above my door!”
-The Raven said “Nevermore.”
-And the Raven, never moving, still sitting there on the peaceful bust of Athena above my bedroom door; who has eyes that seem like a demon is dreaming, with the lamplight that casts your shadow on the floor; My soul shall never be lifted from that shadow floating on the floor.

Edgar Allen Poe uses a great deal of literary devices in his poem "The Raven", and quite a bit of it is symbolism. He repeats things a great deal for either emphasis or so he can paint the image a little bit differently in the mind of the reader. He also uses allusions a lot, leading to other things. He often alludes to the Bible and stories or passages in it. He also symbolizes many different things, because the Raven could symbolize his conscience, his unconcious mind, or things that he knows but refuses to come to terms with.

I think this poem is very dark and has a dark meaning, but it also may hide the true meaning from many of its readers. This poem talks about a man speaking with a Raven, who could symbolize his unconscious mind, and a lost lover that he longs for desperately. I think the man in the poem is imagining the whole thing and in reality is asleep, asking himself if he will ever see his lover again. He wants to hope for the best and get rid of his sorrows, but deep inside, he knows that he will never see his lover again, in this life or in the next, but he wrestles with himself over it. He does not want to believe that his hopes have been dashed, but he subconsciously knows that his hopes are dead. This is a very intriguing poem with many possible meanings and explanations.