MISCELLANEOUS POEMS THE RAVEN. ONCE upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, 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 visiter entreating entrance at my chamber doorSome late visiter 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,. "Le nore ?" This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Le nore !" Merely this and nothing more. Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, Soon again I heard a tapping something louder than before. "Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window Let lattice; Let me see, then, what thereat is and this mystery explore. 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, Perched, and sat, and nothing more. Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, "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, For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being door, With such name as "Nevermore." But the Raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only 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, Of 'Never-nevermore.' But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul 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 Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls 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!— "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, "Be that word our sign of 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 floor; And may scul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted-nevermore ! |