Template:POTD/2021-12-21
"The Raven" is a narrative poem by the American writer Edgar Allan Poe. This illustration by Édouard Manet was drawn for a French publication, and depicts the narrator half asleep, poring over ancient books at midnight on a drear winter night. He hears a tapping sound, and on investigation finds a raven at the window, which flies into his room and perches on a bust of Pallas Athena. The narrator asks the bird a series of questions, to which the bird replies only "Nevermore". Eventually, the narrator falls into despair and ends with his final admission that his soul is trapped beneath the raven's shadow and shall be lifted "nevermore". Originally published in 1845, the poem was widely popular and made Poe famous, though it did not bring him much financial success. "The Raven" has influenced many modern works and is referenced throughout popular culture in films, television, books, and music.Illustration credit: Édouard Manet; restored by Lise Broer