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In: Psychology

In the Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. who or what is a muse? how helpful is...

In the Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. who or what is a muse? how helpful is the raven as a muse and why does the poet need one?

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Expert Solution

Edgar Allen Poe, an American author and poet managed to create a macabre mood in the poem 'The Raven' for which he is famous for. The protagonist of this poem narrates the events on a freezing and dark December evening when he was reading a book, to alleviate the pain and anguish he was suffering on account of his lover's death. As he is immersed in his thoughts, there is a subtle knock on the door. Initially he does not pay heed to it, but later stirs out of his stupor to open the door. He thinks that his dearest Lenore has come back, but alas finds no one. He again hears a knock but this time on the window and when he opens it, a Raven enters inside and perches on the bust of the goddess of wisdom, Pallas Athena.

The protagonist amusingly inquires the Raven's name and is astonished to hear the Raven reply as 'Nevermore.' He murmurs disappointedly that the Raven is also bound to desert him eventually, as his closest people did. But becomes happy when the Raven says 'Nevermore' after hearing his apprehension. The protagonist is perplexed and studies the Raven more closely. All of a sudden he feels that the air in the room has become heavy and scented. He imagines and attributes the angels to make this transition and is ecstatic that God wants him to come out of his misery and hence, had sent the angels to help him. He asks the Raven whether this is true to which the Raven replies 'Nevermore.' The protagonist is crushed that his dream of uniting with Lenore is not going to get fulfilled. He angrily asks the Raven to leave him, but that also does not happen. The Raven defies him and continues to perch on the bust of Pallas and keeps reminding him of his woes.

A muse is a form of inspiration to the creative people. In this poem, strangely the Raven becomes the narrator's muse. In beginning, the narrator becomes happy to get company in form of the Raven. As he is sad and inconsolable, a muse seems a necessity to bring him out of his grief. The narrator learns that the Raven knows only one word 'Nevermore.' Although he tries and wants to forget his much-loved Lenore, he asks the Raven certain questions to which he knows that the Raven will reply only in negative. But he still keeps on asking and in the process is devastated when his hopes of uniting with Lenore are extinguished by the Raven confirming the same. Here, the Raven is a symbol of the grief that the narrator does not want to overcome. It makes its place in the narrator's house and stays there permanently to ceaselessly remind the narrator of his sorrow. Actually, a muse helps creative people to create outstanding masterpieces and is a positive influence on them. But in this poem, the Raven who is the muse of the narrator pushes him deeply in the depths of despair and mourning. It does not inspire him to come out of his misery, but continuously reminds him to pine for his departed Lenore, thus the narrator reaches the brink of insanity.


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