Poe's Poetic Imagery in "The Raven" Edgar Alan Poe's "The Raven" (1845) tells the tale of a man lamenting his deceased mistress, Lenore. Through symbolism, and poetic language, Poe creates imagery, which takes us on a haunting journey. As narration begins, it is a late evening on a dreary night in December; a raven startles a melancholy man and repeatedly answers his questions about Lenore with the word, "Nevermore." The most obvious symbol is, of course, the raven itself. The raven symbolizes a bird of ill omen. The only word uttered by the bird is "Nevermore." The fact that the man cont