Isolation and its results in Poe's The Raven The obvious characteristic of the speaker in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" is his coldness. He isolates himself from the outside world, not because the world itself is terrible, but because of his internal problems. This isolation can bring ugly internal demons to the surface. Complications resulting from isolation can include sadness, fear, despair, anger, madness, self-torture, and feelings of entrapment. Each of these can be seen in “The Crow,” manifested in the speaker of the poem. The opening stanza of "The Crow" introduces the reader to a man isolated in his study on a "gloomy" night reading old books and trying to stay awake. The silent solitude is broken by someone or something "knocking" at the door (lines 1-3). The speaker then explains that he had isolated himself among books in an attempt to block out the painful grief resulting from the recent death of a girl named Lenore. It was December, the darkest month of the year, in the middle of the night. This contributes to the speaker's depression, and his isolation further reinforces it. He may try to avoid his misery and self-pity, but he also wallows in it by sitting in a solitary study and reading ancient books on a December night. Independent, private study is perfectly acceptable; however, the speaker does not seek knowledge but rather an “overcoming of pain” (line 10). The cause of his sadness is not isolation, but it greatly contributes to, and even increases, his blue emotions. The surrounding conditions of darkness and loneliness, combined with the loss of his beloved, cause him to sink into feelings of melancholy. Overall, it's mostly about his isolation between these factors... middle of the card... limited to total loss of control. In solitude, the mind wanders freely in its dangerous secluded world. Works Cited Hoffman, Daniel. Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe. New York: Doubleday, 1972. Lawrence, D. H. Studies in Classic American Literature. New York: Viking, 1961. McQuade, Donald et al. American Literature Harper. New York: Harper Collins, 1994.Poe, Edgar Allen. "The raven." McQuade, 1688-91.Poe, Edgar Allen. "The poetic principle". McQuade 1680-85.Poe Edgar Allen. "The Philosophy of Composition." McQuade 1671-79.Walker, I.M., ed. Edgar Allen Poe: A Critical Legacy. New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1986. Daniel, John Moncure. "Introduction to 'The Crow'." Walker 145-47.Hine, Lucius Alonzo. "Edgar A. Poe." Walker 246-250.Simms, William Gilmore. untitled. Walker 254-57.