The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

Key Takeaways

[Music] once upon a midnight dreary while i pondered we can weary over the mini quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore while i nodded nearly napping suddenly there came a tapping as if someone gently rapping rapping at my chamber door to some visitor i muttered tapping at my chamber door only this and nothing more ah distinctly i remember it was in the december and each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor eagerly i wish tomorrow vainly i'd sought to borrow from my books cersei's of sorrow sorrow for the lost lenore for the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named lenore nameless here forevermore and the silken sad uncertain wrestling of each purple curtain thrilled me filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before so that now to steal the beating of my heart i stood repeating uh to 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 madame truly your forgiveness i implore you see the fact is i was napping and so gently you came rapping and so faintly you came tapping tapping at my chamber door this i scarce was sure i heard you here i opened wide the door but darkness there and nothing more deep into the darkness peering long i stood there wondering fearing doubting dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before but the silence was unbroken and the darkness gave no token and the only word there spoken was the whispered word lenore this eye whispered as an echo murmured back the word little more merely this and nothing more back into my chambers turning all my soul within me burning soon i heard again a tapping somewhat louder than before surely said i surely there is something out my window lattice let me see then what the rat 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 in the saintly days of yore not the least obesience made he not an instant stopped or stayed he but with mean of lord of lady perched above my chamber door perched upon a bust of palace 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 at war thou thy crest be shorn and shaven thou i said art sure no craven ghastly grim or ancient raven and wandering from the nightly shore tell me what thy lordy name is on the knights plutonian shore quoth a raven nevermore much i marveled this ungainly foul to hear discourse so plainly though its answer little meaning little relevancy boar see we cannot help agreeing that no human being has ever yet been blessed 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 bus spoke only that one word as if his soul in that one word he did outpour nothing further than 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 quoth the raven nevermore wondering at the stillness broken by replies so aptly spoken doubtless said hi what it utters is its only stock and store caught from some unhappy master whom a merciful disaster followed fast and followed faster so when hope he would adjure stern despair returned instead of the sweet hope he dared endure that sad answer nevermore but the ravens still beguiling my sad fancy into smiling straight i wield a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door and upon the velvet sinking i took myself to linking fancy unto fancy thinking what's 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 fury 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 with the lamplight gloated ore but whose velvet violet lining with the lamp light clouded glotador shall she press ah never more [Music] then me thought the ear grew denser perfumed from an unseen sensor swung by angels whose faint footfalls now tinkled on the tufted floor rich i cried the god has lent thee by thy angels he has sent thee respite respite and nepenthe from my memories of lenore let me quaff this kind nepenthe and forget thy lost lenore quoth the raven nevermore prophet said i thing of evil prophet still of bird or devil whether 10 percent or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore desolate yet all undaunted on this desert land enchanted on this home by haunted tell me truly i implore is there is there bomb in gilead tell me tell me i implore quoth a raven nevermore prophet said i thing of evil prophet still of 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 aden it shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name lenore clasper rare and radiant maiden whom the angel's name lenore quoth the raven nevermore be that word or sign of parting bird or friend 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 has spoken leave my loneliness unbroken and quit the bust above my door take thy beak from out my heart and take thy form from off my door quoth the raven never more and the raven never flitting still in sitting still and sitting on the palate bust of palace just above my chamber door and his eyes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming and the lamp light or him streaming throws his shadow on the floor and my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted never more