Abstract
Raman scattering from charge and spin excitation in cuprates is reviewed. The two-magnon resonance Raman profile is used to determine the most probable energy for photon-assisted charge transfer leading to exchange between two spins. The difference between this energy and that for absorption is attributed to spin relaxation (spin polaron) effects. Two-magnon spectra in superconducting cuprates are presented. It is argued that their presence is evidence that the antiferromagnetic correlation length is equal to or greater than three lattice constants. The recently-discovered Raman-active excitons are described and possible assignments of them are discussed. It is pointed out that in highly correlated metals and insulators, the mechanisms for light scattering that are familiar for doped semiconductors or conventional metals are not necessarily the only ones that are operative.