The poem's narrator is grieving for a lost love - Lenore.
I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore
He hears a noise outside his door and even though he knows she is dead and gone, he wonders if somehow she has come back to him.
dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!'
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!'
When he opens a window, a "stately raven" steps into the room and flies up to perch on "a bust of Pallas" (Pallas Athena is Goddess of wisdom) over the door, which I've always taken to mean that the bird is speaking truthfully or with wisdom. The narrator speaks to the bird:
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Since "Plutonian Shore" is a reference to Hell, I infer that the raven is from Hell and is a symbol of his inner torment. My personal interpretation is that the narrator killed Lenore and has a guilty heart. He is surrpised that the bird can speak but thinks maybe the bird's former owner might have taught him that one word, "Nevermore". The narrator attempts to discover whether the bird represents comfort (the promise of heaven and forgiveness if sent from God) or everlasting torment (if sent by the devil).
Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee
Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Since the raven answers "Nevermore" to all these questions, the narrator figures the bird is a tormentor from hell and tries to make the bird leave. I could make a case that the bird "is" the spirit of Lenore come back to haunt him.
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
But
the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light 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!
and the narrator realizes that he is doomed to be tormented by the memory of Lenore, is this earthly life and for eternity.
