Poe's poem is primarily about death -- of his beloved Lenore, of hope, of redemption. The raven itself is death personified. Stanza 10, where the narrator states that "Other friends have flown before-" makes the implication that other friends have died, along with hope, and he hopes the bird will as well- a bit of a tongue in cheek joke that he would refer to the raven as a friend. But of course, the raven replies "Nevermore," as if he, as death, has arrived and remains. This notion is reinforced in the last stanza, 18, where the narrator states that his soul will never escape the raven's shadow; that although perhaps not physically dead, he is trapped, hope is gone, and his love has died. The last sentence can also be interpreted that the narrator's soul is floating on the floor, and it "shall be lifted--nevermore!"
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