Edgar Allan Poe is known for his dark and gothic writing style. Almost all his works fit in with the definition of a gothic piece of literature. Gothic literature is best described as; a story that takes place in a dark and isolated place, the plot involves violence, the characters are tortured mentally and physically, and the presence of a supernatural power. This week in class we read and discussed "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. The man in the poem appears to be in a weak state of mind, he is trying to forget about his lost love. The setting is in a remote area and at midnight which gives the reader a sense of darkness. Lenore, his lost love is no longer present in his life and from the tone of the poem one can conclude she was a victim of violence. The man is obviously being mentally tormented because he believes he is having a conversation with a bird. He has become hopeless and believes that the bird will also leave him, which reminds him of his failures and losses. The raven can be considered to be supernatural because there is no such thing as a talking raven. All of these are characteristics of gothic literature and Edgar Allan Poe has done a great job in presenting it in "The Raven"
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