- The Raven
- by Edgar
Alan 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 visitor," 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;
- So that now,
to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
- "'Tis
some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
- Some late
visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-
- This it is,
and nothing more."
- Presently my
soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
- "Sir,"
said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
- But the fact
is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
- And so
faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
- That I
scarce was sure I heard you"- here I opened wide the
door;-
- Darkness
there, and nothing more.
- Deep into
that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering,
- fearing,
- Doubting,
dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
- But the
silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
- And the only
word there spoken was the whispered word,
"Lenore!"
- This I
whispered, and an echo murmured back the word,
"Lenore!"-
- Merely this,
and nothing more.
- Back into
the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
- Soon again I
heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
- "Surely,"
said I, "surely that is something at my window
lattice:
- Let me see,
then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore-
- Let my heart
be still a moment and this mystery explore;-
- 'Tis the
wind and nothing more."
- Open here I
flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and
- flutter,
- In there
stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
- Not the
least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed
- he;
- But, with
mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door-
- Perched upon
a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door-
- Perched, and
sat, and nothing more.
- Then this
ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
- By the grave
and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.
- "Though
thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said,
"art sure no
- craven,
- Ghastly grim
and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore-
- Tell me what
thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
- Quoth the
Raven, "Nevermore."
- Much I
marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so
plainly,
- Though its
answer little meaning- little relevancy bore;
- For we
cannot help agreeing that no living human being
- Ever yet was
blest with seeing bird above his chamber door-
- Bird or
beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
- With such
name as "Nevermore."
- But the
raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
- That one
word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
- Nothing
further then he uttered- not a feather then he fluttered-
- Till I
scarcely more than muttered, "other friends have
flown
- before-
- On the
morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown
before."
- Then the
bird said, "Nevermore."
- Startled at
the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
- "Doubtless,"
said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
- Caught from
some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
- Followed
fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-
- Till the
dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
- Of 'Never-
nevermore'."
- But the
Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
- Straight I
wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and
- door;
- Then upon
the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
- Fancy unto
fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore-
- What this
grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
- Meant in
croaking "Nevermore."
- This I sat
engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
- To the fowl
whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
- This and
more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
- On the
cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
- But whose
velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
- She shall
press, ah, nevermore!
- Then
methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen
censer
- Swung by
Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
- "Wretch,"
I cried, "thy God hath lent thee- by these angels he
- hath sent
thee
- Respite-
respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore!
- Quaff, oh
quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost
Lenore!"
- Quoth the
Raven, "Nevermore."
- "Prophet!"
said I, "thing of evil!- prophet still, if bird or
- devil!-
- Whether
Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
- Desolate yet
all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted-
- On this home
by horror haunted- tell me truly, I implore-
- Is there- is
there balm in Gilead?- tell me- tell me, I implore!"
- Quoth the
Raven, "Nevermore."
- "Prophet!"
said I, "thing of evil- prophet still, if bird or
- devil!
- By that
Heaven that bends above us- by that God we both adore-
- Tell this
soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
- It shall
clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
- Clasp a rare
and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
- Quoth the
Raven, "Nevermore."
- "Be
that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I
shrieked,
- upstarting-
- "Get
thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian
shore!
- Leave no
black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
- Leave my
loneliness unbroken!- quit the bust above my door!
- Take thy
beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my
- door!"
- Quoth the
Raven, "Nevermore."
- And the
Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is 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!
-