Edgar Allen Poe's 'The Raven' is a true work of art, taking us on a journey into the mind and psyche of a man who is paranoid and delusional. Poe utilizes key rhetorical devices throughout the poem to help convey the guilt-stricken thoughts of a man, which also contributes to the poem's overall dark ominous tone. The author's use of alliteration through the entire piece such as "doubting, dreaming dreams" and "[W]hile I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping", evokes a calm, numbing effect on the reader. The feeling is completely opposite of how the narrator himself is feeling as he descends into madness, or the 'Plutonian Shore'. Poe's choice of words and internal rhyme scheme, located in the first and third line of every stanza as well as end-line rhyme scheme, contribute to the overall flow of the poem itself. Without the use of such diction, the reader would lack to feel the lull, stupor emotion evoked from the narrator.
As we dive deeper in the 'guilty' soul of the narrator, we find that Poe's use of symbols throughout the poem is an important aspect of gaining a true sense of his paranoid psychological state. About a third into the poem as he [the narrator] opens up the door, he finds "darkness there and nothing more." However, the narrator whispers into the darkness, "Lenore!" He wishes and hopes his long lost love had returned to him. The narrator returns to his chamber and soon hears a louder tapping, this time at his window. He decides to explore the noise, telling himself it is merely the wind. Though what he hears back seemingly appears to be her: "an echo murmured back the word, 'Lenore!'", we soon find out that the narrator actually hears his own echo. Then, the narrator opens the shutter and a bird flies in. However, it is not just any bird but the bird of ill-omen, otherwise known as a black raven.