The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

In this poem, The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe, the subject is the death of a beautiful woman, Lenore. In the beginning, the speaker is almost alsleep when someone comes to his door, and he whispers, "Tis come visitor . . . tapping at my chamber door--only this and nothing more." THen the speaker opens the shutter and "filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before". Later, the speaker opens the shutter and there perches a raven, who …

…the raven says "nevermore". Then in stanza 15, the speaker asks "is there--is there balm in Gilead?" He means is there a relief from suffering. And still the raven replies "nevermore" Yet, the speaker says the raven is still perching above his chamber door, his shadow thrown on the floor by the overhead lamp. In the end, the speaker says "And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor/shall be lifted--nevermore".