Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan Poe shared a literary connection through a pet raven

Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Dickens established a direct literary connection through a real pet raven owned by Dickens.

Poe reviewed the first four chapters of Dickens's novel Barnaby Rudge for Graham’s Magazine and predicted the book's conclusion. During his review, Poe took a specific interest in Grip, a chatty raven that accompanied the character Barnaby in the story. Dickens traveled to the United States with his family and his pet raven, Grip, in 1842.

Poe contacted the novelist and the two men exchanged letters before meeting in person. During this meeting, Poe discovered that the fictional character Grip was based on Dickens's actual pet. Dickens had used the bird's loquaciousness and ornery personality to create the literary character. Scholars suggest that Poe's fascination with Dickens's bird likely inspired his 1845 poem The Raven.

While Poe sought to impress Dickens to build his own literary reputation in England, the interaction resulted in a lasting creative influence rather than a commercial deal. The physical remains of Grip, which Dickens had stuffed after the bird's death, now reside in the rare book section of the Free Library of Philadelphia.