The Bells and Other Poems. Edgar Allan Poe

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!

      TO ONE IN PARADISE

      Thou wast all that to me, love,

      For which my soul did pine —

      A green isle in the sea, love,

      A fountain and a shrine,

      All wreathed with fairy fruits and flowers,

      And all the flowers were mine.

      Ah, dream to bright to last!

      Ah, starry Hope! that didst arise

      But to be overcast!

      A voice from out the Future cries,

      "On! on!" – but o'er the Past

      (Dim gulf!) my spirit hovering lies

      Mute, motionless, aghast!

      For, alas! alas! with me

      The light of Life is o'er!

      "No more – no more – no more – "

      (Such language holds the solemn sea

      To the sands upon the shore)

      Shall bloom the thunder-blasted tree

      Or the stricken eagle soar!

      And all my days are trances,

      And all my nightly dreams

      Are where thy grey eye glances,

      And where thy footstep gleams —

      In what ethereal dances,

      By what eternal streams.

      LENORE

      Ah, broken is the golden bowl! the spirit flown forever!

      Let the bell toll! – a saintly soul floats on the Stygian river;

      And, Guy de Vere, hast thou no tear? – weep now or nevermore!

      See! on yon drear and rigid bier low lies thy love, Lenore!

      Come! let the burial rite be read – the funeral song be sung! —

      An anthem for the queenliest dead that ever died so young —

      A dirge for her the doubly dead in that she died so young.

      "Wretches! ye loved her for her wealth and hated her for her pride.

      And when she fell in feeble health, ye blessed her – that she died!

      How shall the ritual, then, be read? – the requiem how be sung

      By you – by yours, the evil eye, – by yours, the slanderous tongue

      That did to death the innocence that died, and died so young?"

      Peccavimus; but rave not thus! and let a Sabbath