- Wrath: The speaker's intense wrath and anger are primarily triggered by the loss of his beloved Lenore, which drives him to confront the narrator, who is often seen as a symbol of loss and mourning. The speaker personifies the wrathful and vengeful aspects of grief and guilt.
- Secrecy: The poem repeatedly emphasizes secrecy, creating an atmosphere of mystery and uncertainty. The speaker's true identity remains unknown, and his intentions are shrouded in secrecy, making the reader question the motivations behind his wrath. The poem's use of symbols, especially the raven, contributes to the sense of mystery and secrecy.
Here's how these themes intersect in the poem:
1. The Raven's Symbolism: The raven, which repeatedly utters the word "nevermore," symbolizes both the speaker's wrathful denial and the secrecy of the narrator's mourning. The raven's ominous and persistent presence enhances the sense of secrecy surrounding the speaker's intentions.
2. The Speaker's Obsession: The speaker's obsession with the narrator and his desire to unravel the secrets of his loss lead to his wrathful interactions and his relentless questioning. Secrecy fuels the speaker's rage and deepens the conflict within the poem.
3. The Mysterious Atmosphere: The poem's dark, eerie atmosphere and the speaker's secretive demeanour create a sense of uncertainty and mystery. The poem's tension builds as the speaker unveils more about his plight and the circumstances leading to his wrath, but many elements of the narrative remain obscured.
4. The Interwoven Voices: The speaker and the narrator engage in a dialogue that weaves together their respective themes of wrath and secrecy. The speaker's wrathful inquiries and accusatory tone contrast with the narrator's attempts to unravel the mysteries surrounding him, blurring the lines between the two characters and their motivations.
In "The Raven," Poe intertwines the themes of wrath and secrecy to create a deeply psychological exploration of grief, loss, and the human capacity for anger and vengeance. The themes intersect through the speaker's wrath-fueled encounters with the narrator, the ominous symbolism of the raven, the poem's pervasive atmosphere of secrecy, and the complex interactions between the speaker and the narrator's voices.