“The Raven” is a magnificent piece by a very famous 19th century poet, Edgar Allan Poe. Poe was well known for his dark and haunting poetry. In addition to writing poetry, Poe was also recognized for his Gothic-style short stories. “The Raven” is one of Poe's greatest achievements and has even resulted in recitals and numerous television appearances. “The Raven” tells the story of an anonymous narrator whose beloved Lenore left him. A raven arrives at various points in the poem and tells the narrator that he and his lover are "Never Again." Poe presents the fall of the narrator's spirit through the raven and many frightening events. By examining and studying the work of Edgar Allan Poe in depth, one can fully understand the unique effect, theme and repetition of “The Raven”. Many literary critics have observed and noted the use of unique effect in the works of Edgar Allan Poe. In “The Raven,” Poe chooses the single effect as the dominant attribute of the poem as a whole. Edgar Allan Poe is widely recognized for his use of darkness in many of his works. In “The Raven,” the poem’s darkness encourages Lenore’s anonymity and the speaker’s despair. The darkness the speaker sees beyond her door is actually Lenore. However, his beloved is still missing. The darkness the speaker sees is not only Lenore but also the fearsome raven. A shadow that haunts his soul is hidden in the darkness behind his door. In the fifth stanza, it is no longer darkness but the word “Lenore” which echoes. In the sixth stanza, the haunting echo turns into wind and “nothing more!” In stanza 7, all forms become a crow that says “Nevermore.” Poe also uses darkness to achieve clarity. The effort to defer...... middle of paper ......ella. "Poe and 'The Raven'." Education 20.9 (May 1900): 566-570. Rep. in poetic criticism. Ed. Timothy J. Sisler. Flight. 54. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Information Resource Center. Internet. February 8, 2012. “Edgar Allan Poe.” The main poets of Bloom. Bloom, Harold, ed. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. Print. Edwards, Clifford. “The Raven.” Masterplots II: Poetry, revised edition (2002): 1-3. MagillOnLiterature Plus. Internet. February 8, 2012. Freedman, William. “Poe’s “Raven”: the word that is a response “Never again.” Poe Studies Black Romanticism: Theory of History, Interpretation 31.1 (1998): 23-31. Rep. in poetic criticism. Ed. Timothy J. Sisler. Flight. 54. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Information Resource Center. Internet. February 8, 2012. “Preview: “The Raven.” » Poetry for students. Ed. Marie-Rose Napierkowski. Flight. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Information Resource Center. Internet. February 7. 2012.