The Raven

[First published in 1845]

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, O er many a !uaint and curious olume o" "orgotten lore, #hile I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, $s o" some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door% &'(is some isitor,' I muttered, &tapping at my chamber door ) Only this, and nothing more%' $h, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak *ecember, $nd each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the "loor% +agerly I wished the morrow, ) ainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease o" sorrow ) sorrow "or the lost -enore ) For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name -enore ) .ameless here "or e ermore% $nd the silken sad uncertain rustling o" each purple curtain (hrilled me ) "illed me with "antastic terrors ne er "elt be"ore, /o that now, to still the beating o" my heart, I stood repeating &'(is some isitor entreating entrance at my chamber door ) /ome late isitor entreating entrance at my chamber door, ) (his it is, and nothing more,' 0resently my soul grew stronger, hesitating then no longer, &/ir,' said I, &or 1adam, truly your "orgi eness I implore, 2ut the "act is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, $nd so "aintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, (hat I scarce was sure I heard you' ) here I opened wide the door, ) *arkness there, and nothing more% *eep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, "earing, *oubting, dreaming dreams no mortal e er dared to dream be"ore, 2ut the silence was unbroken, and the darkness ga e no token, $nd the only word there spoken was the whispered word, &-enore3' (his I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, &-enore3' 1erely this and nothing more% 2ack into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, /oon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than be"ore% &/urely,' said I, &surely that is something at my window lattice, -et me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery e4plore ) -et my heart be still a moment and this mystery e4plore, ) '(is the wind and nothing more3' Open here I "lung the shutter, when, with many a "lirt and "lutter, In there stepped a stately ra en o" the saintly days o" yore%

.ot the least obeisance made he, not a minute stopped or stayed he, 2ut, with mien o" lord or lady, perched abo e my chamber door ) 0erched upon a bust o" 0allas 5ust abo e my chamber door ) 0erched, and sat, and nothing more% (hen this ebony bird beguiling my sad "ancy into smiling, 2y the gra e and stern decorum o" the countenance it wore, &(hough thy crest be shorn and sha en, thou,' I said, &art sure no cra en% 6hastly grim and ancient ra en wandering "rom the nightly shore ) (ell me what thy lordly name is on the .ight's 0lutonian shore3' 7uoth the ra en, &.e ermore%' 1uch I mar elled this ungainly "owl to hear discourse so plainly, (hough its answer little meaning ) little rele ancy bore, For we cannot help agreeing that no li ing human being + er yet was blessed with seeing bird abo e his chamber door ) 2ird or beast abo e the sculptured bust abo e his chamber door, #ith such name as &.e ermore%' 2ut the ra en, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only, (hat one word, as i" his soul in that one word he did outpour% .othing "urther then he uttered ) not a "eather then he "luttered ) (ill I scarcely more than muttered &Other "riends ha e "lown be"ore ) On the morrow he will lea e me, as my hopes ha e "lown be"ore%' (hen the bird said, &.e ermore%' /tartled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, &*oubtless,' said I, &what it utters is its only stock and store, 8aught "rom some unhappy master whom unmerci"ul disaster Followed "ast and "ollowed "aster till his songs one burden bore ) (ill the dirges o" his hope that melancholy burden bore O" 9.e er)ne ermore%9' 2ut the ra en still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, /traight I wheeled a cushioned seat in "ront o" bird and bust and door, (hen, upon the el et sinking, I betook mysel" to linking Fancy unto "ancy, thinking what this ominous bird o" yore ) #hat this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird o" yore 1eant in croaking &.e ermore%' (his I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable e4pressing (o the "owl whose "iery eyes now burned into my bosom's core, (his and more I sat di ining, with my head at ease reclining On the cushion's el et lining that the lamp)light gloated o'er, 2ut whose el et iolet lining with the lamp)light gloating o'er, She shall press, ah, ne ermore3

(hen, methought, the air grew denser, per"umed "rom an unseen censer /wung by /eraphim whose "oot)"alls tinkled on the tu"ted "loor% &#retch,' I cried, &thy 6od hath lent thee ) by these angels he has sent thee :espite ) respite and nepenthe "rom thy memories o" -enore3 7ua"", oh !ua"" this kind nepenthe, and "orget this lost -enore3' 7uoth the ra en, &.e ermore%' &0rophet3' said I, &thing o" e il3 ) prophet still, i" bird or de il3 ) #hether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, *esolate 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 6ilead; ) tell me ) tell me, I implore3' 7uoth the ra en, &.e ermore%' &0rophet3' said I, &thing o" e il3 ) prophet still, i" bird or de il3 2y that <ea en that bends abo e us ) by that 6od we both adore ) (ell this soul with sorrow laden i", within the distant $idenn, It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name -enore ) 8lasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels name -enore;' 7uoth the ra en, &.e ermore%' &2e that word our sign o" parting, bird or "iend3' I shrieked upstarting ) &6et thee back into the tempest and the .ight's 0lutonian shore3 -ea e no black plume as a token o" that lie thy soul hath spoken3 -ea e my loneliness unbroken3 ) !uit the bust abo e my door3 (ake thy beak "rom out my heart, and take thy "orm "rom o"" my door3' 7uoth the ra en, &.e ermore%' $nd the ra en, ne er "litting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust o" 0allas 5ust abo e my chamber door, $nd his eyes ha e all the seeming o" a demon's that is dreaming, $nd the lamp)light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the "loor, $nd my soul "rom out that shadow that lies "loating on the "loor /hall be li"ted ) ne ermore3