#3 in Poetry
The Raven
- 44
- Pages
- about 1 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“The Raven” turns grief into sound: a short narrative poem whose refrain tightens around its mourner with every stanza. Even some readers who seldom open a book of verse enjoy it for the sheer pleasure of saying the words. It is brief enough for one sitting, best read aloud, and stays dark to the last line, offering no consolation.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a visit by a mysterious raven that repeatedly speaks a single word: "nevermore". The lover, often identified as a student, is lamenting the loss of his love, Lenore. Sitting on a bust of Pallas, the raven seems to antagonize the protagonist further with its repetition of the word. The poem makes use of folk, mythological, religious, and classical references.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.6 across 415 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 74% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Poetry average of 8.0. That is how 8.4 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.9 | 61 | 15% |
| Hardcover | 8.5 | 354 | 85% |
Frequently asked
How long is The Raven?
It has 44 pages — shorter than 100% of the ranked books in Poetry.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Poetry — with scores between 7.7 and 8.3, closest to this book.
