Edgar Allan Poe‘s “The Raven” is perhaps one of the most infamous horror poems ever put to paper. First published in early 1845, it deals with a man who is grieving the loss of his love, Lenore. As he sits alone in his “chamber” and mourns her passing, he hears a knock. First thinking it’s at his door, it turns out to be a raven at his window, who flies in when it’s opened and perches itself atop a bust of Pallas. Constantly uttering the phrase “Nevermore”, it watches as the narrator slowly goes mad with grief, his soul trapped beneath the shadow of this “thing of evil”.
The poem has become a pop culture phenomenon, influencing and being adapting for film, TV, music, and more. From The Crow to Bugs Bunny cartoons and, perhaps the most known adaptation, “The Simpsons” Treehouse of Horror adaptation, Poe’s poem has remained a constant source of chilling terror since its publication.
In 1883, Gustave Doré, of whom I wrote about previously, created several steel engraved illustrations for the poem. Softer and not as serious as many of his previous works, they are still grim and haunting. Beautifully constructed, they were actually Doré’s last works as he passed away before an illustrated version of “The Raven” could be published posthumously in 1884.
Below are several of these images, of which 26 were created. A brilliant digital reproduction is available through the Library of Congress.
