One way that we learn about our narrator is through his use of allusions. Allusions are references to other texts, places, people, or events that bring richness and nuance to a text. In this case, the allusions used by the narrator show us what a well-read and intelligent person he is, and they help us to understand why he would consider the raven's meaning and provenance so deeply. Further, they help us to know that...
One way that we learn about our narrator is through his use of allusions. Allusions are references to other texts, places, people, or events that bring richness and nuance to a text. In this case, the allusions used by the narrator show us what a well-read and intelligent person he is, and they help us to understand why he would consider the raven's meaning and provenance so deeply. Further, they help us to know that he is not some blindly superstitious person -- he is thoughtful and bright -- and so Poe discourages us from simply discounting his ponderings as the ravings of a mournful and distraught man.
The narrator refers to death as "Night's Plutonian shore"; by this, he is using the Roman name of the god of the dead, lord of the underworld, Pluto (Hades in Greek). He's also referred to "Pallas" -- Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom and war. Further, he refers to "nepenthe," the Greek word meaning a medicine for sorrow, like an antidepressant to help a person to forget their sadness. He speaks of a "balm in Gilead," referring to a universal cure for pain and/or death. Finally, he speaks of "Aidenn," the Arabic word for Paradise (compare to the word "Eden" from the Bible). References like this -- from Greek and Roman mythology, the Bible, and Arabic -- tell us a great deal about our narrator and help us to understand how Poe wants us to think of him.
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