Edgar Allen Poe used a variety of symbols in his poem "The Raven" to represent many things. Typically, a raven represents something ominous and evil. Another indicator of death is a crow. Since the narrator has no right to even receive the small sum, this poem also addresses losing hope. This poem is about his deceased wife Lenore and the raven's emotional pain.
The narrator is tormented by his ex-lover Lenore, who returned as a raven, during the entirety of the poem. Even though he has left many clues, it is still assumed that he killed her. The ambers in the bottle indicate that he has little expectation of seeing Lenore again.