Poe's 'The Raven': Conveying Beauty Through PovertyThe idea of ​​losing a loved one is a powerful emotion that almost everyone can relate to . It was with this concept in mind that Edgar Allan Poe conceived his classic narrative poem “The Raven.” For some, poetry is a way to express different ideals, whether social, intellectual or philosophical. For Edgar Allan Poe, poetry was at its best when it conveyed beauty through the expression of simple but powerful emotion. In Poe's mind, there was no purer manifestation of poetic beauty than the deep emotion felt by the loss of a beloved woman. It is with this in mind that Poe uses setting, tone, and symbolism to tell the powerful emotion of endless despair in order to connect with his audience in the classic poem "The Raven." Edgar Allan Poe's life was often colored by tragedy. . These tragedies were a strong source of influence for his writings and probably contributed to his interest in the darker aspects of life. Born in 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts, Poe's life with his biological family was short-lived. His father, David Poe, left the family only two years after his birth, and shortly after, in December 1811, his mother Elizabeth Poe died of illness, leaving him an orphan (Quinn 47). The death of a parent at such a young age is something that would undeniably have a profound impact on anyone's psyche. In Poe's case, the death of his mother, then the serious illness and then death of his wife, Virginia, could be considered one of the strongest motivations for his attention to death and his obsession with death. loss (Quinn 496). This unhappy childhood was compounded by Poe's difficult relationship with his adoptive parents, John and Fanny Allan (Dhahir). Poe's...... middle of paper...... Reference center. Internet. July 14, 2014.Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Raven.” Literature: a pocket anthology. 5th ed. RS Gwynn. New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2012. 545-549. Print.Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Philosophy of Composition”. Literary criticism of Edgar Allan Poe. Ed. Robert L. Hough. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1965. 20-32. Rep. in poetic criticism. Ed. Timothy J. Sisler. Flight. 54. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Information Resource Center. Internet. July 13, 2014. Quinn, Arthur H. Edgar Alan Poe: A Critical Biography. Baltimore: John Hopkins UP, 1998. Print. Richards, Eliza. “Outsourcing “Le Corbeau”: Retroactive origins. » Victorian Poetry 43.2 (2005): 205-221. Reference center for poetry and short stories. Internet. July 14, 2014. Smith, Stephanie Ann. “The American Romantic Period.” American Romantic Period (2011): 1. Reference center for poetry and short stories. Internet. July 16 2014.