RSS
Home
Pause for Poetry: a Reading of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
This week’s special Halloween Pause for Poetry features the classic poem, "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. Originally published in 1845, “The Raven” was inspired by the talking raven in Charles Dickens’ Barnaby Rudge and utilizes the meter of “Lady Geraldine’s Courtship” by Elizabeth Barrett.
Without further ado, let’s all hit the pause button of our lives for a few minutes and watch “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe, performed by Vincent Price in a short film directed by Johnny Thompson.
The lyrics are available below the video if you’d like to read along.
Edgar Allan Poe
The Raven
Once upon a midnight dreary, while 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 named 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 there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness 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 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,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast above 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 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
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 lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
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 has 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 named Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'
`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
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 lamp-light 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!
For more Pause For Poetry readings, check out:
Charles Bukowski reads “The Man with the Beautiful Eyes.”
Kim Addonizio reads "One Night Stands" and "The Muse."
Kim Addonizio reads "One Night Stands" and "The Muse."
Langston Hughes reads "The Weary Blues"
Billy Collins reads “Forgetfulness” and “The Country”
Mat Lloyd "The Skateboard Poet" reads "This Town."
Joy Harjo reads "I Give You Back: A Poem to Get Rid of Fear."
Wanda Coleman reads excerpts from Ostinato Vamps and Bathwater Music.
Martin Espada reads "Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100."
Standout Poets from the San Pedro River Review.
Gina Loring reads "This Side of Mourning."
Readings from poets Douglas Kearney, Brendan Constantine and Elizabeth Iannaci.
Billy Collins reads “Forgetfulness” and “The Country”
Mat Lloyd "The Skateboard Poet" reads "This Town."
Joy Harjo reads "I Give You Back: A Poem to Get Rid of Fear."
Wanda Coleman reads excerpts from Ostinato Vamps and Bathwater Music.
Martin Espada reads "Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100."
Standout Poets from the San Pedro River Review.
Gina Loring reads "This Side of Mourning."
Readings from poets Douglas Kearney, Brendan Constantine and Elizabeth Iannaci.
Don't forget to subscribe to my emails and follow me on Twitter @LABooksExaminer.
More About:
Pause for Poetry
Related Articles:
Comments
The acclaimed Welsh poet Dylan Thomas has been called one of the most important poets of the 20th century and the most spectacular of the surrealist …
Cristina García is the bestselling author of five novels: Dreaming in Cuban, The Agüero Sisters, Monkey Hunting, A Handbook to Luck, and …
- Joy Harjo: author of For a Girl Becoming
- Rafe Esquith: author of Lighting Their Fires
- Lev Grossman: author of The Magicians
- Lisa See: author of Shanghai Girls
- Paul Levine: author of Illegal
- Seth Harwood: author of Jack Wakes Up
- Robert Dugoni: author of Wrongful Death
- Gint Aras: author of Finding the Moon in Sugar
- Dr. Drew: author of Red Carpet Posture
- Queenelle Minet: author of In Memory of Central Park
- Alice Rene: author of Becoming Alice
- Brian Celio: author of Catapult Soul
- Chris Treece: author of Driven
- Dan Marvin: author of Briefs for the Reading Room
- Alon Shalev: author of Oilspill dotcom
- Jackie Hooper: The Things You Would've Said
- Shelly Rachanow: author of What Would You Do If You Ran the World?
- Sherry D. Buffington: author of The Law of Abundance
- Elizabeth Eagan-Cox : author of A Ghost from the Shadows
- Margaret Hyde: author of Mo Smells Red; A Scentsational Journey
- Francis Hamit: author of The Shenandoah Spy
- Micah Linton: author of The Weebeasts
- Linda Ferrari: author of The Big Score
- Kirk Leins and Erika Kerekes: Chefs and Cooking Writers
- Maya Angelou reads And Still I Rise
- Martín Espada reads Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100
- Wanda Coleman reads excerpts from Ostinato Vamps and Bathwater Wine
- Joy Harjo reads I Give You Back
- Billy Collins reads Forgetfulness and The Country
- San Pedro River Review: 3 Stand-out Poets
- Gina Loring reads This Side of Mourning
- Mat Lloyd The Skateboard Poet reads This Town
- Douglas Kearney, Brendan Constantine and Elizabeth Iannaci
- Langston Hughes reads The Weary Blues
- Kim Addonizio reads One Night Stands and Muse
- Charles Bukowski reads The Man with the Beautiful Eyes
- Jim Carroll reads from The Basketball Diaries
- Edgar Allan Poe reads from The Raven
- Reading Dracula Again for the First Time: Review of Dracula by Bram Stoker
- The Why Chromosome: Review of Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
- Nurture Born Killer: Review of Native Son by Richard Wright
- The Art of Listening: Reviews of Ostinato Vamps by Wanda Coleman and Chicana Falsa by Michele Serros
