The+Raven



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A corny yet fun reading of "The Raven" =The Raven = By Edgar Allan Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. “’Tis some visiter,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door— Only this and nothing more.”

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December; And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore— For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore— Nameless //here// for evermore.

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">“’Tis some visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Some late visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door;— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This it is and nothing more.”

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Darkness there and nothing more.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before; <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore?” <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Merely this and nothing more.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice; <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">’Tis the wind and nothing more!”

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore; <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he; <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!” <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore; <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">With such name as “Nevermore.”

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Nothing farther then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Till I scarcely more than muttered “Other friends have flown before— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">On the morrow //he// will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.” <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Then the bird said “Nevermore.”

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Of ‘Never—nevermore’.”

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door; <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core; <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">//She// shall press, ah, nevermore!

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">“Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore; <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!” <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Is there—//is// there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!” <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil! <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.” <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">“Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting— <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore! <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door! <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!” <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, //still// is sitting <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Shall be lifted—nevermor**e**!