Give an example from the Raven that shows the speaker was going insane? Explain how this shows his insanity. Use a specific quote from the poem. The poem has been provided for you at the beginning of this section
Answer:
One example from “The Raven” that shows the speaker was going insane is “And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting / On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; / And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming, / And the lamplight o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; / And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor / Shall be lifted—nevermore!” This shows his insanity as he is obsessively fixated on the raven, attributing demonic qualities to it and believing it has cast a shadow over his soul. He is hallucinating and experiencing intense paranoia, both signs of mental instability.