What is the speaker doing in The Raven? What did he hear?

Answer: In Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven," the speaker is initially reading "forgotten lore" to distract himself from his sorrow over the loss of his beloved Lenore. While he is reading, he hears a tapping noise and feels a bit uneasy. At first, he dismisses the sound, trying to convince himself it's merely a visitor at his door. This tapping occurs again, and he attributes it to the wind. Eventually, curiosity and a need for hope that this visitor might bring him some respite from his melancholy compel him to open the door. Upon opening the door, he finds nothing but darkness.

The tapping continues, and the speaker realizes it is coming from his window. When he opens the window, a raven enters. The raven perches atop a bust of Pallas (Athena), the goddess of wisdom, above his chamber door. The speaker, seeking to understand the raven's presence, asks the bird its name. Surprisingly, the raven responds with the word "Nevermore." This answer shocks and amuses the speaker, so he continues to ask the raven questions, ranging from whether he will be reunited with Lenore in another world to whether there is balm in Gilead, which metaphorically asks if there is relief for his suffering. To all questions, the raven only answers "Nevermore," which increasingly distresses the speaker, driving him to despair.