We are told this incident takes place in December and that the narrator had been reading in order to forget about his lost love, Lenore.
The narrator returns to his chamber and soon hears a louder tapping, this time at his window. He decides to explore the noise, telling himself it is merely the wind.
The narrator is relieved and somewhat amused by the bird's appearance. He asks the raven its name and he replies, “Nevermore.”
nevermore
The narrator rationalizes that the raven's repetition of “nevermore” has nothing to do with his own hopeless state
nevermore
The narrator asks the raven if he will ever see Lenore in heaven. The raven answers, "nevermore."
nevermore
The raven remains sitting. He overshadows the narrator, whose soul will never see happiness again.