11/17/2016

TheRavenbyEdgarAllanPoe|PoetryFoundation

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TheRaven
BYEDGARALLANPOE

Onceuponamidnightdreary,whileIpondered,weakandweary,
Overmanyaquaintandcuriousvolumeofforgottenlore
WhileInodded,nearlynapping,suddenlytherecameatapping,
Asofsomeonegentlyrapping,rappingatmychamberdoor.
Tissomevisitor,Imuttered,tappingatmychamberdoor
Onlythisandnothingmore.
Ah,distinctlyIrememberitwasinthebleakDecember
Andeachseparatedyingemberwroughtitsghostuponthefloor.
EagerlyIwishedthemorrowvainlyIhadsoughttoborrow
FrommybookssurceaseofsorrowsorrowforthelostLenore
FortherareandradiantmaidenwhomtheangelsnameLenore
Namelesshereforevermore.
Andthesilken,sad,uncertainrustlingofeachpurplecurtain
Thrilledmefilledmewithfantasticterrorsneverfeltbefore
Sothatnow,tostillthebeatingofmyheart,Istoodrepeating
Tissomevisitorentreatingentranceatmychamberdoor
Somelatevisitorentreatingentranceatmychamberdoor
Thisitisandnothingmore.
Presentlymysoulgrewstrongerhesitatingthennolonger,
Sir,saidI,orMadam,trulyyourforgivenessIimplore
ButthefactisIwasnapping,andsogentlyyoucamerapping,
Andsofaintlyyoucametapping,tappingatmychamberdoor,
ThatIscarcewassureIheardyouhereIopenedwidethedoor
Darknessthereandnothingmore.
Deepintothatdarknesspeering,longIstoodtherewondering,fearing,
Doubting,dreamingdreamsnomortaleverdaredtodreambefore
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Butthesilencewasunbroken,andthestillnessgavenotoken,
Andtheonlywordtherespokenwasthewhisperedword,Lenore?
ThisIwhispered,andanechomurmuredbacktheword,Lenore!
Merelythisandnothingmore.
Backintothechamberturning,allmysoulwithinmeburning,
SoonagainIheardatappingsomewhatlouderthanbefore.
Surely,saidI,surelythatissomethingatmywindowlattice
Letmesee,then,whatthereatis,andthismysteryexplore
Letmyheartbestillamomentandthismysteryexplore
Tisthewindandnothingmore!
OpenhereIflungtheshutter,when,withmanyaflirtandflutter,
IntheresteppedastatelyRavenofthesaintlydaysofyore
Nottheleastobeisancemadehenotaminutestoppedorstayedhe
But,withmienoflordorlady,perchedabovemychamberdoor
PercheduponabustofPallasjustabovemychamberdoor
Perched,andsat,andnothingmore.
Thenthisebonybirdbeguilingmysadfancyintosmiling,
Bythegraveandsterndecorumofthecountenanceitwore,
Thoughthycrestbeshornandshaven,thou,Isaid,artsurenocraven,
GhastlygrimandancientRavenwanderingfromtheNightlyshore
TellmewhatthylordlynameisontheNightsPlutonianshore!
QuoththeRavenNevermore.
MuchImarvelledthisungainlyfowltoheardiscoursesoplainly,
Thoughitsanswerlittlemeaninglittlerelevancybore
Forwecannothelpagreeingthatnolivinghumanbeing
Everyetwasblessedwithseeingbirdabovehischamberdoor
Birdorbeastuponthesculpturedbustabovehischamberdoor,
WithsuchnameasNevermore.
ButtheRaven,sittinglonelyontheplacidbust,spokeonly
Thatoneword,asifhissoulinthatonewordhedidoutpour.
Nothingfartherthenheutterednotafeatherthenhefluttered
TillIscarcelymorethanmutteredOtherfriendshaveflownbefore
Onthemorrowhewillleaveme,asmyHopeshaveflownbefore.
ThenthebirdsaidNevermore.

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TheRavenbyEdgarAllanPoe|PoetryFoundation

Startledatthestillnessbrokenbyreplysoaptlyspoken,
Doubtless,saidI,whatituttersisitsonlystockandstore
CaughtfromsomeunhappymasterwhomunmercifulDisaster
Followedfastandfollowedfastertillhissongsoneburdenbore
TillthedirgesofhisHopethatmelancholyburdenbore
OfNevernevermore.
ButtheRavenstillbeguilingallmyfancyintosmiling,
StraightIwheeledacushionedseatinfrontofbird,andbustanddoor
Then,uponthevelvetsinking,Ibetookmyselftolinking
Fancyuntofancy,thinkingwhatthisominousbirdofyore
Whatthisgrim,ungainly,ghastly,gaunt,andominousbirdofyore
MeantincroakingNevermore.
ThisIsatengagedinguessing,butnosyllableexpressing
Tothefowlwhosefieryeyesnowburnedintomybosomscore
ThisandmoreIsatdivining,withmyheadateasereclining
Onthecushionsvelvetliningthatthelamplightgloatedoer,
Butwhosevelvetvioletliningwiththelamplightgloatingoer,
Sheshallpress,ah,nevermore!
Then,methought,theairgrewdenser,perfumedfromanunseencenser
SwungbySeraphimwhosefootfallstinkledonthetuftedfloor.
Wretch,Icried,thyGodhathlenttheebytheseangelshehathsentthee
RespiterespiteandnepenthefromthymemoriesofLenore
Quaff,ohquaffthiskindnepentheandforgetthislostLenore!
QuoththeRavenNevermore.
Prophet!saidI,thingofevil!prophetstill,ifbirdordevil!
WhetherTemptersent,orwhethertempesttossedtheehereashore,
Desolateyetallundaunted,onthisdesertlandenchanted
OnthishomebyHorrorhauntedtellmetruly,Iimplore
IsthereistherebalminGilead?tellmetellme,Iimplore!
QuoththeRavenNevermore.
Prophet!saidI,thingofevil!prophetstill,ifbirdordevil!
BythatHeaventhatbendsaboveusbythatGodwebothadore
Tellthissoulwithsorrowladenif,withinthedistantAidenn,
ItshallclaspasaintedmaidenwhomtheangelsnameLenore
ClasparareandradiantmaidenwhomtheangelsnameLenore.
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QuoththeRavenNevermore.
Bethatwordoursignofparting,birdorfiend!Ishrieked,upstarting
GettheebackintothetempestandtheNightsPlutonianshore!
Leavenoblackplumeasatokenofthatliethysoulhathspoken!
Leavemylonelinessunbroken!quitthebustabovemydoor!
Takethybeakfromoutmyheart,andtakethyformfromoffmydoor!
QuoththeRavenNevermore.
AndtheRaven,neverflitting,stillissitting,stillissitting
OnthepallidbustofPallasjustabovemychamberdoor
Andhiseyeshavealltheseemingofademonsthatisdreaming,
Andthelamplightoerhimstreamingthrowshisshadowonthefloor
Andmysoulfromoutthatshadowthatliesfloatingonthefloor
Shallbeliftednevermore!

RELATEDCONTENT
Discoverthispoem'scontextandrelatedpoetry,articles,andmedia.
POET

EdgarAllanPoe
SUBJECTS

Living,Disappointment&Failure,Sorrow&Grieving,Mythology&Folklore,Ghosts&the
Supernatural,Horror
HOLIDAYS

Halloween
POET'SREGION

U.S.,MidAtlantic
SCHOOL/PERIOD

Victorian
POETICTERMS

RhymedStanza
Reportaproblemwiththispoem.

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