Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven” was first published in 1845.
The poem appeared in the New York Evening Mirror on January 29, 1845. It quickly attracted attention for its musical repetition, gloomy atmosphere, and memorable talking bird. Poe was already known as a critic and short-story writer, but “The Raven” gave him his widest contemporary fame.
Poe later discussed the poem’s construction in his essay “The Philosophy of Composition,” claiming that he deliberately selected its refrain, setting, and narrator to produce a unified emotional effect. Scholars debate how literally that essay should be read, but the poem’s careful sound patterns are unmistakable.
The publication date is sometimes confused with later book editions. “The Raven” was reprinted many times in 1845, including in American newspapers and literary collections, but its first publication was in January of that year.