“It was a dreary night, while I was thinking, weak and weary” (“The Raven” 1). “The Raven,” arguably one of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous poems, is the tale of a depressed man who longs for his lost love. Confronted with a talking crow, the man gradually loses his reason. “The Haunted Palace,” a ballad by Poe, is a brilliant and skillfully crafted metaphor that compares a palace to a human skull and mind. A palace of opulence gradually turns into a dilapidated ruin. This deterioration is symbolic of madness and death. In true Poe style, “The Raven” and “The Haunted Palace” both belong to the gothic/dark romanticism genre. These poems highlight sadness, death and loss. As might be expected, analysis of the poems reveals differences and parallels. An example of this is Poe's use of poetic devices in each poem. Although different in structure, setting, and symbolism, these two poems bear striking similarities in tone and theme. The structure and setting of these poems are quite different. “The Raven” is a narrative poem composed of 18 stanzas. Each stanza consists of six lines. Conversely, “The Haunted Palace” is a ballad consisting of only 6 stanzas and a total of 48 lines. The setting of “The Raven” takes place in a bedroom. We don't know exactly what type of coin it is; only that it is dark as the fire goes out and casts shadows on the ground (“The Raven” 1-8). The setting of “The Haunted Palace” takes place in a palace in a valley. At first the palace is beautiful and peaceful, but it turns into a dark and sad ruin. Remember that the palace is a metaphor (allegory) for the mind, so the setting also includes the sane mind going crazy (Meyer, p. 893). Although the structure and setting are different, the same ...... middle of paper ...... and demons. Upon closer inspection, I feel like both poems reflect Poe himself. Poe was a troubled soul who dealt with these themes during his life. This could explain why dark themes are so prevalent in these poems. Whatever the reason for these similarities, much like the darkness that surrounded Poe's life, the linked correlations between these poems will persist forever. Works Cited Meyer, M. (2013). Bedford's Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. Boston: Bedford Bks St Martin's.Poe, EA “The Haunted Palace”. Bedford's Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford Bks St Martin's. 2013. 891-893. Print.Poe, EA “The Raven”. Bedford's Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford Bks St Martin's. 2013. 789-791. Print.