What is the significance of the raven in The Raven?

The
significance of Edgar Allen Poe actually stating that the bird in hiswork is a raven is that he
had to use a bird that could 'talk.' Of course, no bird can actually converse with humans in a
meaningful way, but it was enough to use a bird that could be taught to say a few 'words' as in
his confused state, to the mourner in his half-dream state, this would have made sense. It would
have been silly, for example, to use a robin or a swan. Ravens, as members of the crow family,
are birds of high intelligence and can be taught to repeat sounds to which we humans attach
significance, and to do tricks. I have read of Poe referring to a parrot also, and thought that
this gaudy, comical bird with it's bright colors would have added completely the wrong
tone.