Edgar
Allen
Poe
The
Raven
100

“Of course,” I said, “What it mutters is its bread and butter”

“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store

100

Give me Relief- Relief and alcohol from my memories of Lenore

Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore;

100

He said nothing more and nothing less, his feathers never fell

Nothing further he uttered- not a feather then he fluttered

100

But the Raven still entrancing my sad face into smiling

    But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,

100

On the couch’s soft lining, and the lamp light shed over

    On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er,

200

Surprised at broken silence of the confidently spoken comment

 Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

200

Wretch, you filthy animal, your God has sent these angels of heaven to you

“Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee

200

That one word he poured his whole heart into

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

200

Why, oh Why is this ancient bird here

Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore

200

While I was thinking my head fell back

    This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining

300

Trapped from a messy master who had an awful disaster

Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster

300

Swung by angels of heaven whose soft tip-toes echoed on the spongy floor

Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.

300

Until I whispered something, “Other friends have left me before

Till I scarcely more than muttered, "Other friends have flown before"

300

Then, upon the cushion sinking, I began thinking

    Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking

300

I sat thinking, guessing, and not speaking

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

400

Tracked speedily and Tracked faster until his sad songs carried his troubles

Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore

400

Then, I thought the air got heavier, with the smoke of an unknown container

    Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

400

But the Raven, sat lonely on that still statue, only said

But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only

400

With good posture I pushed the small couch in front of the raven, the statue, and the door

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;

400

To the bird whose red eyes now penetrate my heart’s core

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;

500

Until the slow songs of his sadness took over him

Of never- nevermore

Till the dirges of his Hope the melancholy burden bore

of Never-Nevermore

500

Chug, Oh Chug, this kind of alcohol, so I can forget Lenore

Quoth the Raven “Nevermore”

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”

            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

500


Tomorow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before

Then the Raven said, Nevermore

On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before

Then the bird said "nevermore"

500

Why is this traumatizing, awful, sad, and ancient bird her to torment me

As the Raven says, Nevermore

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore

            Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”

500

But whose soft purple lining with the lamp light shedding over, Lenore will never sit on again

Nevermore

But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er,

            She shall press, ah, nevermore!

M
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