One dark December night, a poet is feeling tired and sad. He is reading old books to escape his grief over the death of his love, Lenore, when he hears a rapping on his door.

He wonders who is visiting so late, but when he opens the door, he sees no one. He hears only a voice saying, "Lenore." He calls our, "Lenore?" but there is no answer. He hears the knock again, and this time when he opens the door, he sees a raven, who flies in and sits on the head of a statue over the door.

When asked its name, the raven says, "Nevermore." The poet wonders what the raven means. Is it to comfort him? Is it to frighten him?