The first two stanzas of The Raven introduce you to the narrator and his beloved girl Lenore. You find him sitting on a "gloomy" and dark evening with a book open in front of him, even if he is dozing more than reading. Suddenly he hears a knock on his door, but he only believes it is a visitor and nothing more. He remembers another night, like this one, in which he sought the comfort of his library to forget the sorrows of his long-dead beloved and to wait for the dawn. Meanwhile the knocks on his door continue. Poe's most famous poem begins with an image that immediately transports the reader to a dark, cold, stormy night. Poe does not want his readers to stand on the sidelines and watch what happens, but to actually be in the library with the narrator, hearing what he hears and seeing what he sees. Using words and phrases such as "dreary midnight" and "bleak December," Poe sets the mood and tone, wanting his readers to feel the cold night and reach for the warmth of the "dying embers" of the fireplace. You do not enter this poem thinking of daffodils and the sun, but howling winds and shadows. By using these words, Poe gives you the feeling of being isolated and alone. He also contrasts this isolation, symbolized by the storm and the dark room, with the richness of the library's objects. The furnished room also reminds him of the beauty of his lost Lenore. Additionally, Poe uses a rhythm in his opening stanza, using "tapping", followed by "rapping, rapping at my door" and ending with "tapping at my Chamber door". You can almost hear the banging on the library door as... in the center of the paper... the door opens. When he found himself opening the door, he saw nothing but darkness. And this is the point where he realizes there's nothing out there. I think the reason Poe was so scared reflects on Lenore. I understood that Lenore was Poe's love at some point in his life. He has been so depressed that all he thinks about is her, but at the same time he is also trying to forget her. And when he first heard the rustling sound, he might think it might be Lenore's spirit. I think this was why he was so afraid. Poe drew many of his ideas and images in his imagination. And the images he had of Lenore didn't make him feel any better. I think most of Poe's thoughts and feelings came from his mind and not his heart.