The Raven

Summary

The poem by Edgar Allan Poe, first published on January 29, 1845, in the New York Evening Mirror. The poet read it publicly for the first time in a literary salon hosted by his friend Anne Lynch Botta.
The work is noteworthy for its distinct, rhythmic, melodic sound, linguistic stylization, and a sense of horror. It tells of a mysterious visit that a speaking raven makes to a man in despair after the loss of his beloved, portraying the slow process of the unfortunate man descending into madness.