Literary Analysis: Comparing Death in 'LXXXIX' and 'The Raven'

This essay provides a literary analysis of the theme of death as depicted in Pablo Neruda's "LXXXIX" and Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven." The essay examines how death is presented through literary devices, symbolism, and the overall tone of each poem. "The Raven" is discussed in terms of its dramatic elements, including its metric pattern, rhyme scheme, and the ominous symbolism of the raven, which represents ill news and foreshadows the narrator's grief over the loss of Lenore. "LXXXIX" is analyzed for its expression of mortality, the speaker's desires after death, and how the theme of death is presented with the repetition of the phrase "I want." The essay concludes by highlighting the prevalence of the death theme and its portrayal through literary devices in both poems. The essay also mentions the use of refrain, repetition, and symbolism in the poems.

Running head: LITERARY ANALYSIS OF “LXXXIX” AND”THE RAVEN”
Literary analysis of “LXXXIX” and “The Raven”
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LITERARY ANALYSIS OF “LXXXIX” AND”THE RAVEN”
In poetry, fiction and drama, the theme of death is always found to be the central to the
literary text. Death in literature is present as a theme, a symbol or as the plot device. The thesis
statement of this essay is to analyze how the theme of death is depicted in the two poems, Pablo
Neruda’s LXXXIX and Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven.
“The Raven”, a poem by Edgar Allen Poe is replete with its dramatic elements. The poem
is written in the metric pattern of trochaic octameter. It is written in stressed-unstressed feet,
having the rhyme scheme of ABCBBB. The poem is constructed in a negative tone, where the
fear of passing away or of death is prominent. The refrain of “nothing more” and “nevermore”
gives the poem the melancholic or the lonely touch and paints the overall atmosphere.
Throughout the poem, the premature death of the character of Lenore is made esthetic and the
narrator is agonized and unable to let go of her memories (Rizzo). The poet uses the symbol of
the Raven. The bird is the ominous symbol of ill news. It makes the narrator to be the interpreter
as well as the deliverer of any evil message without the intervention of any uncanny element.
Also the black feather of the raven is considered to be a symbol of ill omen. The cold December
night when the narrator sits up late mourning for the loss of his beloved Lenore, the raven
appears on the window, repeating the word “nevermore” (Line 48), which implies that death
being inevitable won’t be returning back his beloved to him, thus inning down the central theme
of death(Poe).
“When I Die I Want Your Hands on My Eyes” is the English translation of Pablo Neruda’s
Spanish poem “LXXXIX” . in this poem, the speaker narrates his desire of his spouse to
remembering, even after his death but he does not want to mourn his loss to an extent that will
prevent her from living her life. The theme of death is prevalent since the poet says that when he
would die soon, he wants his wife to be by his side. He says, “Ehen I die, I want your hands on

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LITERARY ANALYSIS OF “LXXXIX” AND”THE RAVEN”
my eyes/ I want the light and the wheat of your beloved hands” (Line 1-2)
(http://www.gutenberg.org/files/50307/50307-h/50307-h.htm). The poem refrain of “I want”
repetitively in the poem talks of the poet’s desire after his death. The poem is a very innocent
description in which the theme of mortality and death is repetitive, delivering the message that
life does not stop for anyone an death is inevitable (Marais).
Thus it can be concluded that the two poems are prevalent with the theme of death and is
portrayed evidently through the literary devices, the refrain, repetition and the symbolism in the
poems.

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LITERARY ANALYSIS OF “LXXXIX” AND”THE RAVEN”
Works Cited:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/50307/50307-h/50307-h.htm
Marais, Renee. "Pablo Neruda: twenty love poems and a song of despair."
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Raven.” The Norton Anthology of Poetry. (6th Edition). Margaret
Ferguson, Tim Kendall, Mary Jo Salter (editors). New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1016-
19.
Rizzo, Therese M. "The cult of mourning." Edgar Allan Poe in Context (2013): 148.