How does Poe's "The Raven" reflect the era in which it was written?

“The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe was published in January of 1845 during the era of Romanticism, which occurred from the late 1700s into the mid-1800s. Romanticism does not focus solely on love; it also delves into the human condition, mystery, and the unnatural. “The Raven” does have undertones of romantic love. The speaker is suffering the loss his young love, Lenore. He is aware she will never come back to be with him in his now-lonely room. The poem also includes the unnatural existence of the talking raven, who provides mystery.

The raven, who repeats only one word, is an unnatural or exotic element in the poem. Poe uses the raven to exploit the condition of the man’s mind, which leads the reader to feel empathy for him. The speaker delves deeper and deeper with his questions as he seems to lose his mind with sadness, but the raven continues to answer with the word “nevermore.” All of these characteristics point to the warped realism common in the era of Romanticism.