哥特式文学首先盛行于18，19世纪的西方世界，旨在描述发生在充满神秘与恐怖氛围中的传奇经历。许多学者认为，“哥特元素大都运用于小说创作，而诗歌则由于受到情节、节奏与韵律的限制而缺少叙述哥特故事的基础条件” (Tzvetan 25-26) 。但部分学者则坚信“哥特元素不仅存在于小说中，在诗歌当中亦可以分外活跃”（刘守兰：55）。作为美国哥特文学大师与先驱，埃德加·爱伦坡的短篇小说以及他的诗作都充满了哥特式的神奇色彩。但是大多数学者仅将研究聚焦于其短篇小说中的哥特研究，而忽视了该元素在其诗歌中也存在的现实。
一、爱伦坡所持的哥特式文学理论
爱伦坡对美好事物的凋零有着强烈的迷恋。追根究底，这还源于他儿时的丧亲之痛，与中年的丧妻之痛。而已逝女子的影子常在他脑海里盘旋，引领他在诗歌王国里翱翔。哥特式风格又恰如其分地被其用于诠释他心底深处的恐惧与压抑。 众多作家在描写恐怖情节时，常对外部环境进行大力渲染，而他则更注重对人内心世界的雕琢。他深信“诗歌的最好主题是死亡，尤其是美丽尤物的死亡，将毫无疑问是世界上最具诗意的主题（Poe ：133-140）”。他用诗歌践行了自己的写作原则，并将一生都奉献给了这种哀伤的美丽。为更清晰地展现爱伦坡的哥特式写作风格，本文将以《乌鸦》为例并诠释其中所蕴含的死亡之美与哥特式元素。
二、意象塑造
1、人与物的塑造
《乌鸦》塑造了两个重要形象：年轻男子与乌鸦。悲伤的男子刚失去他最爱的女子，他企图沉浸于书以忘却伤痛，但一切都是徒劳，他越看书，越被寂寞与悲痛侵蚀；而象征死亡与不祥的乌鸦却在午夜，飞入这间男子曾常与故去情人蕾诺相会的小屋。此外，诗人还塑造了两个对诗的主旨起重要作用的意象。其一为黑色，“纯色调可使人产生快乐或抑郁之感”（朱立元：489-490）。诗中所连续采用的黑色背景，可使读者感到压抑，从而感受男子心底的恐惧与悲痛。
诗中反复出现的“永远不再”亦可看作一种特殊形象。除该词的原意外，它还具有象征意义。在乌鸦出场时，悲伤的男子问它叫什么名字，乌鸦的回答就是“永远不再”，但当主人翁向乌鸦询问是否有良药以消除他心中对蕾诺的思念时，当他想知道是否能与蕾诺在遥远的天堂再次相会时，以及最后要求乌鸦离开小屋时，乌鸦都是通过“永远不再”作答，也正是这个词，使得男子陷入永恒的悲痛深渊。
2、场景设置
读者可在开篇看到一幅夜半三更的凄厉画卷：
阴森的气氛，令人毛骨悚然的场景，神秘而忧郁的男子, 不祥的乌鸦……在阴郁而寒冷的午夜，除寒风的呼啸声与男子翻动书页的声音，周围的一切均可谓万籁俱寂，屋外的世界在夜的面纱笼罩之下，而屋内的狭小空间在昏暗的光线下显得忽明忽暗，突然一阵短暂的敲门声在他房门上叩响，但当他打开房门查看时，却不见敲门人，只有无情的黑夜与肆虐的狂风。然而，当他回到屋内，之前的敲门声却再次响起，乌鸦在这时飞入他的房间，并栖息于他房门之上。
但为何选择午夜作为故事发生的时间？午夜意味着恐怖与神秘，各种幽灵与魔鬼总在此时出没。这种令人发怵的氛围，为乌鸦的出场奠定了基调。诗人将故事设置在一所幽僻而狭小的屋子里也是别有一番用心。首先，狭小而封闭的空间对构建孤僻而隔世的哥特式恐怖气氛有着绝对的帮辅作用。第二，小屋正是两位情侣的爱巢，这个屋子依旧如此，然而曾经的欢笑却随着女主人的香消玉殒而一去不
返。男子守着物是人非的屋子，睹物思人，是何等的悲伤。如此设置场景会在读者心中引起共鸣，使读者对男子的同情之心油然而生。
《乌鸦》, 作为一首以抑扬格八音部构建下完成的叙事体诗歌, 读起来朗朗上口, 具有极强的音感。全诗在爱伦坡极具个性的语言风格营造中, 描绘出一个非现实环境下的超自然氛围。它讲述的是一个关于男主人翁痛失所爱的故事。一个会说人类语言的乌鸦, 来到一个刚刚失去心上致爱的男子身边。男子正竭尽全力使自己走出这情感的阴霾, 但乌鸦的到来却更加加重了男子的无限伤感。任凭男子一再地反复询问, 乌鸦的回复冷酷而让人绝望:永不复焉。
爱伦·坡自认此诗写得十分有逻辑与条理。
他的目的是创作一首能皆在评论与大众两
使得爱伦·坡终身受到欢迎，
尽管这并没有为他带来巨大的财富。此诗不久后便再版、之一。
January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language,
tracing the man's slow descent into madness. The lover, often identified as being a
seems to further instigate his distress with its constant repetition of the word "Nevermore". The
Poe claimed to have written the poem very logically and methodically, intending to create a poem that would appeal to both critical and popular tastes, as he explained in his 1846
1845. Its publication made Poe widely popular in his lifetime, although it did not bring him
Synopsis
"The Raven" follows an unnamed narrator on a night in December who sits reading "forgotten
heard at his window. When he goes to investigate, a raven steps into his chamber. Paying no
Amused by the raven's comically serious disposition, the man demands that the bird tell him its
talk, though at this point it has said nothing further. The narrator remarks to himself that his narrator reasons that the bird learned the word "Nevermore" from some "unhappy master" and Even so, the narrator pulls his chair directly in front of the raven, determined to learn more about it. He thinks for a moment, not saying anything, but his mind wanders back to his lost
Lenore. He thinks the air grows denser and feels the presence of angels. Confused by the association of the angels with the bird, the narrator becomes angry, calling the raven a "thing
asks the raven whether he will be reunited with Lenore in Heaven. When the raven responds with its typical "Nevermore", he shrieks and commands the raven to return to the "Plutonian
Analysis
is the raven's "only stock and store", and, yet, he continues to ask it questions, knowing what the answer will be. His questions, then, are purposely self-deprecating and further incite his
weary, becomes regretful and grief-stricken, before passing into a frenzy and, finally,
Allusions
The raven perches on a bust of, a sy
mbol of wisdom meant to imply the narrator is a scholar. Illustration by
for
's translation, Le Corbeau (1875).
it is mentioned in "The Philosophy of Composition". It is also suggested by the narrator reading
is also emphasized in the author's choice to set the poem in December, a month which is traditionally associated with the forces of darkness. The use of the raven – the "devil bird" –
Poe chose a raven as the central symbol in the story because he wanted a "non
-reasoning" creature capable of speech. He decided on a raven, which he considered "equally capable of
scene in particular bears a resemblance to "The Raven": at the end of the fifth chapter of
Dickens's novel, Grip makes a noise and someone says, "What was that
– him tapping at the
speak many words and had many comic turns, including the popping of a champagne cork, but Poe emphasized the bird's more dramatic qualities. Poe had written a review of
Barnaby
Rudge for Graham's Magazine saying, among other things, that the raven should have served
does not immediately return with the news. It is punished by being turned black and being
Poetic structure
and x representing unstressed):
Edgar Allan Poe, however, claimed the poem was a combination
the 'B' lines rhyme with the word 'nevermore' and are catalectic, placing extra emphasis on the
structure and meter is so formulaic that it is artificial, though its mesmeric quality overrides
typical with Poe, his review also criticizes her lack of originality and what he considers the
never read a poem combining so much of the fiercest passion with so much of the most