Edgar Allan Poe in the poem The Raven (1845) suggests that grief and sorrow are strong emotions that are difficult to control. Poe supports his suggestion by demonstrating the narrator's inability to let go of his grief. The author's purpose is to show how much sadness can affect someone so that the reader can better understand the pain. The author writes in a dark tone for the reader. Edgar Allen Poe uses literary elements in this story along with the theme of holding onto pain to inform the reader of the power of anguish. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Raven's theme as it relates to grief is that grief is hard to let go of. Lines 10 and 11 read 'From my books increase of sorrow-sorrow for the lost Lenore-For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels call Lenore...'. Lines 53, 54 and 58 read "Drink, oh drink this gentle nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!", "Quoth the Raven "Nevermore.", "...Leave my solitude unbroken!". This helps illustrate the narrator's problems in letting go of his grief for Lenore because he mentions his sadness, his pain, and how he wishes it would all go away many times throughout the story Furthermore, the narrator also suggests to the Crow that he could drink a drug to make him forget everything his pain and loneliness only for the Crow to respond “Never again,” implying that even the most powerful drugs could not ease his pain is important because it goes back to the theme of the inability to easily control the emotions of misery and pain. Poe uses some literary elements in the poem that help to contribute to the reader's understanding of the theme. These literary elements are repetition and symbols. when, with much flirting and beating, a majestic raven of the holy days of yore entered: not the slightest homage paid him...". In lines 65 and 66 the narrator says, “Take thy beak from my heart, and take thy form from my door!” and the Crow replies "Never again". The Crow is used here as a symbol of the narrator's pain as both the Crow and his pain appear unexpectedly and both refuse to leave him. In line 47 the narrator describes the Raven as "bleak, hideous, gaunt and menacing..." This repetitive use of these alliterative and mysterious words helps to create a dark tone surrounding the Raven, further confirmation of the Raven's dark symbolism . Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The author wants the reader to understand the theme of endless pain. The way he does this is by using rhetorical devices such as alliteration, symbolism, and repetition to create a dark atmosphere and immerse the reader in the narrator's feelings of grief for his lost lover. Works Cited Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48860/the-raven.