Question

One possible theme of "The Raven" is that the hardest part of grief is the fear that we will never be able to see our loved one again, even in the afterlife. Which of Edgar Allan Poe's literary choices below best contributed to this theme.

A. The Alliteration of "grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt."
B. The repetition of "Quoth the Raven 'Nevermore'."
C. The allusion to Pallas (Goddess Athena)
D. The metaphor " And His eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming."

Answer 1

B. The repetition of "Quoth the Raven 'Nevermore'."

Explanation:

The ghastly repetition of the phrase Nevermore in the poem by Edgar Allan Poe is able to derive on of the central themes of a poem. The raven represents a lot of things and in its prophetic voice coveys this central theme.

When the Raven says 'Nevermore' it means that never again will the poet be able to have the experience he is having right now as Gothic and supernatural as it is right now and this pang of grief that he is facing he will not be able to come to terms with.