Read the following lines from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven":

And the Raven, never flitting, still sitting, still sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!

Which of the below words best helps create the mood of despair in the poem?

a. dreaming
b. chamber
c. shadow
d. nevermore***

I agree.

d. nevermore

The word "nevermore" best helps create the mood of despair in the poem "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. To determine this, we should analyze the text and the options provided.

In the poem, the word "nevermore" is repeated throughout as a haunting and gloomy refrain. It represents a sense of finality, hopelessness, and inevitability. Each time it appears, it intensifies the atmosphere of despair and suggests a lack of escape or resolution.

The other words mentioned in the options - "dreaming," "chamber," and "shadow" - also contribute to the overall mood of the poem, but they do not carry the same weight of despair as the word "nevermore." Therefore, the correct answer is indeed d. nevermore.