With the Baltimore Ravens playing in the NFL Conference Championship on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, its a great time to look at how they got their name. The Baltimore Ravens were named after the famous poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe, because Edgar Allan Poe lived in Baltimore for a part of his life, and is even buried there. The Baltimore Ravens were established in 1996, and the name was chosen after extensive research, exhaustive panel discussions, focus groups, and fan polling. The name Ravens continued to surface at the top of all lists, and it was the Baltimore football fans who named their new team. They even named the 3 mascots Edgar, Allan and Poe.

Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven

“The Raven” is a narrative poem that was first published in 1845. It tells the story of a man who is visited by a raven that speaks only one word, “Nevermore.” The poem is known for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. The poem’s protagonist is a young man who is mourning the loss of his lover, Lenore. He is visited by a raven that perches on a bust of Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, above his chamber door. The man asks the raven a series of questions, to which the bird responds with the single word “Nevermore.” The poem ends with the man’s descent into madness as he realizes that he will never be reunited with Lenore.

The poem’s themes of loss, grief, and madness have made it one of Poe’s most popular works. It has been adapted into various forms of media, including films, television shows, and music. The poem’s influence can also be seen in popular culture, with references to “The Raven” appearing in everything from comic books to video games. Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, courage, and inspiration. She is often depicted with an owl, which is a symbol of wisdom. The use of the bust of Pallas Athena in “The Raven” is a nod to the importance of wisdom and knowledge in the poem.

Influences on Edgar Allan Poe

Poe was heavily influenced by classic literature and poetry from a young age. He was particularly interested in the works of William Shakespeare, John Milton, and Lord Byron. These writers influenced Poe’s style and subject matter, and their influence can be seen in “The Raven.” The poem’s use of alliteration, repetition, and rhyme is reminiscent of Shakespeare’s work, while its themes of loss and grief are similar to those found in Milton’s “Paradise Lost” and Byron’s “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage”.

If you want to learn more about Edgar Allan Poe, we have an old blog post about The Fall of the House of Usher, or check out the Edgar Allan Poe Museum. Don’t miss our old post about how the Greek gods see the NFL teams this year, or visit the official site of the Baltimore Ravens. The 2012 movie The Raven features John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe trying to stop a serial killer committing murders based on Poe’s poetry. You can watch the trailer below: