Read this passage from "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe.

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

How does the appearance of the raven propel the narrative action of the story?


A: It introduces a new character by which readers are able to gauge the speaker's deteriorating mental state.

B: The appearance of the raven creates the exposition of the poem, providing readers background about the speaker.

C: It introduces a new character who befriends the speaker and helps him search for Lenore.

D: It suggests that the raven creates a parallel between the action of the poem and Greek mythology.