ame or in line 59, "on the morrow he will leave me" (Poe, "Raven" 1333) in reference to the raven. Poe writes the poem about loss of beauty (specifically Lenore) because "Beauty is the sole legitimate province of the poem" (Poe, "Composition" 1435) in that it sparks instant, intense elation. He goes on to insist that, because beauty prompts tears, melancholy is "the most legitimate of all the poetical tones" (Poe, "Composition" 1435). Drawing the reader into the poem with the use of tone strengthens the effect of the poem. The reader, feeling connected to the melancholy student, perceives aspects of the poem which would be lost to an outside observer of the narrative.
The language of "The Raven" is chosen as carefully as the details of the tone. Containing the sonorous long 'loll sound and the common letter "r," the word "nevermore" is an appropriate choice for the refrain of the poem. As Poe comments in "The Philosophy of Composition," the word is structurally appropriate and its meaning fits the tone of the poem. The refrain must be flexible so it can be used in response to the student's many questions. "Nevermore" contains the words "ever" and "more." "Ever" means at all times or in any way, which connects the word to the lasting nature of love. The love of the student and Lenore brought them "always together" in any context except death. The only thing that keeps them from each other is Lenore's death. The meaning of "more" is great
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