Symbol of the Raven

In Western culture and in Christianity the raven is a symbol for complex and contradictory things.  Because of its black color, ravens are connected with negative things like death, destruction, impurity and solitude. It also represents darkness and evil. However, it is also a symbol of some positive things. Because it can learn to talk, the raven is a symbol of wisdom. In Christianity, ravens are also the protectors of prophets. I think Edgar Allen Poe choice of the bird as the symbol matches the ideas of the poem very well. The bird in the poem is also signifies something quite controversial. It has connections with the narrator’s solitude, Lenore’s death, and the narrator’s sadness over her death. The events also happen to be at night, which gives the feeling that the raven just came out from the dark. Another important characteristic that the raven has is that it can talk. In our textbook, it mentions about Poe’s writing process and how he was choosing the bird he wanted use. He was deciding between a parrot and a raven because both birds can talk. I think that the raven is a much suitable bird to use. Because of its color and some of the stories and symbols behind it. It gives the more sorrowful and dark tone the poem is aiming at.