Sometimes, I feel bad for Ravens. So many times throughout literature and in movies and in folklore, they are always portrayed as bad. In Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem, "The Raven", the bird's fate is no different.
Why are they considered to be so bad? Devilish and conniving? Is it because they're black? Because that's a bit racist. European folklore associates ravens with death, war, and departed souls (this last one makes sense for Poe's poem). However, many other cultures, like the ancient Greeks and Native Americans, associate the raven's apparent intelligence with light, goodness, and truth.
It's interesting that at the period "The Raven" was written, American writers were trying so hard to find their own distinct writing style, yet Poe used British folklore to inspire his poetry instead of American.
But I think that's just because Poe didn't care.
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