: The Raven : EdgarAllanPoe : Once upon a midnight dreary, as 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 therewondering, 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 on 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!