Examples Of Paranoia In The Raven

Haunting of Paranoia
In the poem, The Raven, there is a tension that builds-up amidst a continuous cycle. The symbolisms in the poem allows the reader to get an idea of the current mental state of the narrator. The back and forth conflict between narrator and the environment proves that the narrator is bothered about who or what is outside his chamber. The narrator is unable to confront what he thinks is an entity, due to the presence of fear, which resulted from a traumatic mourning of a loss.
The setting of the environment of the narrator, based on the description, is haunted. The event takes place “upon a midnight dreary” in December, during a season where people are celebrating, the narrator’s atmosphere is depressing.
The visual imagery of the

setting shows a gothic environment. Though the aura of the setting is gloomy, the narrator’s mind is alert because he is restless. “While I pondered, weak and weary.” He is worrying about something heavy enough to keep him awake during this hour. There is a feminine rhyme that represents the sound that the chamber door is making. “Suddenly there came a tapping, as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.” The continuous auditory imagery builds up the idea of a haunting that is occurring. “Presently, my soul grew stronger.” The narrator’s paranoia is starting to take effect.
As the narrator expresses what is going on in his mind, he states, “sorrow for the lost Lenore-For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-Nameless here for evermore.” He is mourning the loss of Lenore. His relationship to Lenore is not specifically mentioned, but based on how he refers to her as a “radiant maiden,” He is possibly her lover or husband. He also seems to be very much affected, he mentions her name before anyone else. This shows her importance to him.
There is a shift in the auditory imagery.

Instead of rapping and tapping, he hears a “flirt and a flutter”. A raven appears in his chamber. At this point, there has been progress between the narrator and the “potential presence” outside his chamber. He is now at the peak of his fear. Everything seems so unlikely. He tries to convince himself that it is not possible that events that are taking place are more that natural occurrences. He feels that it is odd to see a bird in his chamber. However, during instances where the narrator would hear the rapping and tapping of the chamber door, the narrator called out, "Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, and so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,..” This shows that he is still opening his mind to the possibilities, despite the denial of what is really outside. “For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door.”
The narrator, who at this point is drowning in his guilt and paranoia, “Respite—respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of

Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!” This tells the reader that he is trying to forget about Lenore by drinking his problems away. One can assume that the narrator is drunk and is not in his right senses, therefor he using personification to describe the Raven as a “prophet” or “devil” for answering back, “Nevermore.” One would consider this quite normal since birds do mimic, but the other is too bothered, he is letting his guild get the best of him.
He tries to summon the bird by having a discussion, but in reality he is having an argument with himself. “That lie thy soul has spoken.” He is denying the fact that the bird said nevermore to the idea that his wife is no longer returning to him, which makes him angry. He continues to sermon the bird, but with each line the narrator says, the bird keeps replying “nevermore” which is what birds who mimic naturally do, but the narrator who is too drunk to realize, takes it as the bird’s way of debating with him. He notices that the bird decides not to leave him and hi takes a shadow or the guilt that he carries. The bird symbolizes the devil of his past being carried to the present. He slowly comes to his senses by saying, “And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted-nevermore!” He comes to realization with himself by accepting the fact that his wife, Lenore is gone and that there is a part of him that will stay miserable for as long as he carries the guilt with him.

Works Cited
Poe, Edgar A. The Raven. Boston: The Liberator, 1845. Web