The Raven is a narrative poem often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow fall into madness. This edition also includes: The Philosophy of Composition - An essay in which Poe describes his method in writing the poem The Raven by Sarah Helen Whitman - A poem written as a valentine to Edgar Allan Poe The Raven by Edward Everett Hale - An article about the poem The Dreamer by Mary Newton Stanard - A biography of Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American writer, editor, and literary critic, best known for his poetry and short stories of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States and American literature as a whole, and he was one of the country's earliest practitioners of the short story.