Uncommon Feelings in Edgar Allan Poe’s Works: Melancholy in The Raven

It is not uncommon to feel more melancholy than fear when reading Edgar Allan Poe’s works, such as his famous poem The Raven..

Chapter 1: Understanding Poe's Versatile Writing

Edgar Allan Poe is celebrated for his contributions to various literary genres, including horror, detective fiction, and poetry. However, it is not uncommon to feel a deep sense of melancholy when reading his works. While Poe did indeed write several horror stories, his poetry often delves into the depths of human emotion, primarily focusing on melancholy. This can be observed in The Raven.

Chapter 2: Reading “The Raven” as Dark Comedy

One interpretation of The Raven is to read it as a form of dark comedy. I have found that reading it in this manner can bring a smile rather than a feeling of gloom.

Paragraph 1: The Poem’s Meter and Humorous Elements

The poem’s bouncy meter does not inspire fear or melancholy. Lines such as “While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping” seem comical to many readers. Poe himself acknowledged that the raven's presence brought a smile to his face, as evidenced in this line: “But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling.”

Paragraph 2: High Comedy in Poe’s Verse

There are passages in the poem that seem like high comedy. For example:

Open here I flung the shutter; when with many a flirt and flutter In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore…

Who can take serious words attributed to a bird in the manner of the Raven? Lines such as “Though thy crest be shorn and shaven thou” I said, art sure no craven” and “Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—” invite laughter rather than dread.

Paragraph 3: More Humorous Stanzas

There is more high comedy in the following stanza:

Then I tapped with my walking-stick, and speaking much ado/nought but “Is there anybody here?” said I. nBut there was a tinyn?угtermination

There are more instances where the poem makes one giggle instead of feel terror. The imagery and the raven's speech are absurd and often amusing.

Chapter 3: The Realistic Emotions in “The Raven”

While The Raven is primarily a melancholic poem, it does contain elements of fear. Lines such as “Here I opened wide the door – Darkness there and nothing more” add a layer of suspense and intrigue, but the overall tone remains melancholic.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the feelings of melancholy in Poe's writing, especially in The Raven, are both universal and complex. There is no one-size-fits-all emotional response to Poe's works. Whether you read them as a serious piece of melancholy poetry or as a form of dark comedy, the depth and complexity of Poe's writing ensure a lasting impression on the reader.

Keywords: Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven, melancholy, horror, dark comedy.