I think the answer to the question is that the bird the raven is death. The writer seem to be lamenting over the death of his beloved maiden. It appears that death is answering some of his questions as to whether he shall see Lenore again. It seems to hat he don't want to go on living without his beloved. The raven which is death seems to be saying he needs to go on with is life that his maiden is neverever more. Death is saying his time is not yet and when the time comes he too shall face death. Death seem to be saying that he just as well face life with a smile, for all must face death. Before one face a life of Eden and then even in Eden Lenore shall not be there for him no more as he thinks. The writer seem to feel that the evil as a prophet is trying to trick him that all is lost for he and his beloved Lenore. It is my belief that the writer is so hurt over his loss of the woman that he love that his own imagination is playing trick on him so he is expressing his twisted grief and is now accepting the fact that life goes according to his religious values.