The Raven

The poem by Edgar Allan Poe, first published on January 29, 1845, in the New York Evening Mirror. The poet read it publicly for the first time in a literary salon hosted by his friend Anne Lynch Botta.
The work is noteworthy for its distinct, rhythmic, melodic sound, linguistic stylization, and a sense of horror. It tells of a mysterious visit that a speaking raven makes to a man in despair after the loss of his beloved, portraying the slow process of the unfortunate man descending into madness.