5 Why does the poet have the Raven perch on the bust of the Greek
goddess Pallas?
A Ravens were sacred to the Greeks.
B Ravens predict death.
© Pallas is the god of wisdom, and the Raven represents the devil
and they are competing for the narrators soul.
(D) Greece.

The poet places the Raven on the bust of Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, to create a striking contrast between knowledge and despair. This juxtaposition emphasizes the narrator’s internal struggle as he faces the overwhelming sorrow of loss, particularly the death of Lenore. The raven, a symbol often associated with bad omens and death, perched atop the figure of wisdom, suggests that the narrator’s reason and intellect are being overshadowed by grief and darkness.

Moreover, the choice of Pallas Athena is significant because she represents not only wisdom but also war and strategy. By having the raven rest there, the poet signals a battle between rational thought and the despair that the raven brings—an intense psychological conflict that resonates throughout the poem, making the struggle all the more poignant and relatable to the reader.