The Raven By Edgar Allen Poe First published

The Raven By: Edgar Allen Poe First published in 1845

Stanza 1 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. '.

• One gloomy midnight, I was tired; so, I read some old books. I was almost asleep when I heard a gentle tapping at the door. It is likely a visitor, nothing else. • Why is this set at midnight? It tells us of the darkness of the man’s soul. • He was reading to calm his soul. • When he hears the tapping at the door, he tells himself that it is merely a visitor. It is not a ghost or spirit, it is not an apparition. His words suggest hope. • Quaint: having an old-fashioned attractiveness or charm

Stanza 2 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.

• This happened in the cold sadness of December. The embers of the fire cast strange shadows on the floor. I wished the day would end; I took some books from the shelf. I wanted to read things that would make me forget my sadness. I was sad that Lenore was dead. She was beautiful and warm; but, she was dead. • December suggests the end of something, perhaps the man’s mental stability. • December also suggests that a ‘beginning’ is just around the corner (the New Year). • Was this poem set on New Year’s Eve? • He reads the books to take his mind off his depression. • Lenore is ‘nameless’ because there is no use in calling her name – she can never respond. • Surcease: (v. ) to cease from some action; desist; to come to an end (n. ) cessation; end

Stanza 3 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, '

The purple curtains rustled; but, I was not scared. This was a new feeling, something other than sadness. To calm my heart, I repeat to myself, “It is a visitor asking to come in. That is all; just a latenight visitor. ” • He was glad to feel something other than sadness. • His heart was racing. He had to calm down. He made a mantra to keep from going crazy. • The man has begun his descent into madness.

Stanza 4 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.

I soon gained the courage to speak to the person who was knocking at my door. “I am sorry I did not answer right away. I was falling asleep when you were knocking at the door. You knocked so softly that I was not sure if anyone were there. I opened the door … and nobody was there. • The man is somewhat scared, and he asks forgiveness from whomever was knocking at the door. • He opens the door. This is like opening his soul to the potential for human contact; but, nobody is there. • At this point, the man wants somebody to be at his door; otherwise, he is all alone.

Stanza 5 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.

• I looked down the hallway for a long time. I stood there wondering about many things: life, Lenore, love, and so on. I could not control my thoughts. The hallway was silent. I whispered “Lenore” and the echo returned her name to me. • The man begins to lose control over himself. He cannot control his thoughts. He is consumed with the thought of Lenore. • He hopes that it was Lenore who had come to see him. He softly calls her name, and he is satisfied when he hears it come back to him. • “Merely this and nothing more”: this is not a simple episode. It is not merely anything. He is obsessed with Lenore. A knock at the door mesmerizes him with the thought that it could be Lenore.

Stanza 6 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!'

• I went back to my room; but, my heart was heavy. I soon heard tapping, slightly louder than before. It was coming from my window. I’ll go see what it is. Oh—it’s just the wind. • His soul was burning because he was thinking of Lenore, hoping it was she at the door. • He has to calm himself to open the door. • He is sad that it is only the wind. It is an anticlimax. • Thereat: at that place or time; there www. dictionary. com

Stanza 7 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.

• I opened the window shutters and a bird flew in. He did not stop to be welcomed, but walked in the room as if he were in a position of power. He then sat on top of the door frame, where an image of Pallas is mounted. He simply sat there. • The man does not try to catch the bird or remove it. Perhaps he was glad for the company. • A raven is a large black bird. It is often an omen of bad things to come, or a harbinger (foreshadower) of death. • The raven acts as though he belongs there. He is meant to be there. • In Greek mythology, Pallas was the goddess of wisdom. If the raven is above Pallas, it possesses wisdom greater than known wisdom. • Obeisance: a movement of the body expressing deep respect or deferential courtesy, as before a superior; a bow, curtsy, or other similar gesture. • Mien: air, bearing, or demeanor, as showing character, feeling, and so on. www. dictionary. com

Stanza 8 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. '

• The raven charmed me, and I began to smile. He appeared self-important and full of purpose. I said, “You are obviously not a coward! You must have wandered here from the underworld. What is your name? ” The raven replied, “Nevermore”. • The raven releases the tension in the man’s life (for a short time). The raven amuses the man. • The man suggests that the dark, ominous bird must have arrived from the underworld (the ‘dark side’) • Surprisingly, the bird speaks. Eerily, it says only one word: nevermore. • Beguiling: to distract one’s attention from something; in this case, when the man saw the raven, he temporarily forgot about Lenore. • Countenance: appearance; especially the look or expression of the face • Craven: coward • Quoth: an archaic verb; it means ‘said, ’ and is used with nouns, and with firstand third-person pronouns, and always placed before the subject. • Plutonian: refers to the underworld; Pluto was the god of the underworld in Roman mythology. . • Nevermore: never again. www. dictionary. com

Stanza 9 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. '

• I was amazed to hear a bird speaking! Unfortunately, its answer meant nothing. How exciting to be the first person to have a talking bird perched above his door! I am certainly the first person to have a bird named ‘Nevermore’ do that! • The bird’s appearance, confidence, and speaking-ability have amused the man.

Stanza 10 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 will he leave me, as my hopes have flown before. ' Then the bird said, `Nevermore. '

• It’s strange, but the raven said ‘nevermore’ as if it summed up his whole life. Then, he sat there, not moving. Oh well. I said to myself, “He will leave me, just like my friends have; just like my hopes have. ” Surprisingly, the bird replied, “Nevermore. ” • The raven has become an eerie presence in the room. • The man’s joy turns to sadness when he realizes that the raven will leave him. • The raven suggests that he will never leave the man. • Placid: pleasantly calm or peaceful; unruffled; tranquil; serenely quiet or undisturbed www. dictionary. com

Stanza 11 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. "'

• I was shocked at how quickly the bird responded to my statement! Then I realized that the bird was only repeating a word he had been taught, much like a parrot does. I think the bird must have lived with an owner (master) who lived a life of multiple disasters. As the master often said that word during the day, the raven must have picked it up from him. • The raven’s initially quick response caught the man offguard. • The man is rationalizing the raven’s choice of word. • The man is falling back to his sadness. • Dirge: a mournful sound resembling a funeral song, or one commemorating the dead. www. dictionary. com

Stanza 12 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, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking `Nevermore. '

• The raven still intrigued me, so I turned my chair to face him as he sat above the door. As I sat in the chair, I began to ponder what the raven meant when he said ‘nevermore. ’ Why would a bird such as he – sad, awkward, skinny, and ominous -- say such a thing? • The man’s amusement is turning to annoyance. • In the previous stanza, the man thinks that the bird knows only one word, and that’s why he says ‘nevermore’. • In this stanza, the man is taking the raven’s response personally. • The man verbally degrades the raven. • Velvet: A soft fabric, such as silk, rayon, or nylon, having a smooth, dense pile and a plain underside. www. dictionary. com

Stanza 13 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!

• I sat in the chair, trying to guess the bird’s motivation in saying ‘nevermore’. As I did so, the bird stared at me. I wondered why he did that, too. I was relaxing, letting my head rest on the cushion, when I realized that Lenore will never return to iron the velvet cushion. Despite the presence of the raven, I am alone. • The man becomes somewhat paranoid. He thinks the bird had answered him purposefully. • As he sits, thinking about the bird, it occurs to the man that Lenore will not be back to tidy his room. • He becomes sad again. • O’er: over; This form of over is used in poetry and hymns when only one syllable is required to complete a line in a verse.

Stanza 14 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. '

• Methought: I thought • Censer: a container, usually covered, in which incense is burned. • Seraphim: A seraphim is one of the six-winged angels standing in the presence of God. • Foot-falls: footsteps • Tufted: In this case, it means that there is a carpet on the floor. • Wretch: a person of despicable or base character • Thee: pronoun; the objective case of ‘thou’; it means ‘you’ • Respite: a delay or cessation for a time, especially of anything distressing or trying; an interval of relief • Nepenthe: a drink mentioned by ancient writers as having the power to bring forgetfulness of sorrow or trouble; anything inducing a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness, especially of sorrow or trouble. [ni-pen-thee] • Quaff: to drink a beverage copiously and heartily www. dictionary. com www. poedecoder. com/essays/raven

• Suddenly, it felt like the air was thicker, as if winged angels had come by with incense. I shouted at the raven, “You horrible bird! Angels sent you here to help me forget Lenore! Where is the drink you must have brought? I must forget about Lenore!” The raven replied, “Nevermore. ” • The air felt thicker because the tension was building. • The ‘seraphim’ is mentioned to illustrate the swift, invisible way in which a scent spreads in a room. • The man shouts at the raven; but, it is really a cry for help. His thoughts of Lenore are consuming his life. • The raven’s reply does not help matters. In fact, the raven says that the man will never be free from the memory of Lenore.

Stanza 15 `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, I implore!' Quoth the raven, `Nevermore. '

• Prophet: a person who speaks for God or a deity, or by divine inspiration; a person regarded as, or claiming to be, an inspired teacher or leader; a person who foretells or predicts what is to come • Tempter: a person or thing that tempts, especially to evil • Tempest: a violent windstorm, especially one with rain, hail, or snow; a violent commotion, disturbance, or tumult • Desolate: barren or laid waste; devastated; solitary; lonely; dreary; dismal; gloomy • Undaunted: undismayed; not discouraged; undiminished in courage or valor • Enchanted: To cast a spell over; bewitch; to attract and delight; entrance • Implore: to beg urgently or piteously, as for aid or mercy • Balm: any of various oily, fragrant, resinous substances, often of medicinal value, exuding from certain plants • Gilead: A mountainous region of ancient Palestine east of the Jordan River in what is now northwest Jordan

• “Prophet” I shouted. “Where you sent here to tempt me, or did you come by accident? This is a terrible place for you to be, yet I am not discouraged. I know it must seem like a horror movie, all dark and gloomy. Tell me, I beg of you, is there ointment in Gilead? ” The raven replied, “Nevermore. ” • The man knows that he is depressed and living in emotional darkness. • He asks the raven if he is here on purpose. • The man tortures himself by asking the raven if there is balm in Gilead is famous for producing natural ointments. The man knows that the raven will only answer ‘nevermore; ’ but, he asks anyway. If there is no more balm in the most famous source, then surely the world is coming to an end!

Stanza 16 `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. '

• I said to the raven, “Prophet, I am full of sadness. Tell me, in the name of God [tell the truth], will I see Lenore again, in the Garden of Eden, up in Heaven? ” The raven replied, “Nevermore. ” • This was the first stanza of The Raven that Poe wrote. This is the climactic verse. From here, Poe worked backwards to write the preceding stanzas; then, he wrote the final two. • The man continues to torture himself. He knows that the raven says only ‘nevermore; ’ yet, he asks the bird if Lenore is waiting for him in heaven. The raven says ‘no. ’ • The man desperately wants to see Lenore again. He hopes she is surrounded by angels in Heaven. The raven tells him otherwise. • Laden: loaded, burdened • Aidden: Eden, as in The Garden of Eden • Maiden: an unmarried woman www. dictionary. com

Stanza 17 `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. '

• I jumped from the chair and shouted at the raven, “The last word you said shall be the last word you say to me! Go back from whence you came, you bird or devil! Do not even leave a feather as a reminder, as I do not wish to think of you or your lie again. Leave me in my loneliness, and leave my room. Your words have injured me as if they stabbed me in the heart. ” • • At this point, the raven is clearly an unwelcome guest. The man wants the raven to leave the room. He accuses the bird of lying to him. The man has gone mad. • • • Fiend: any evil spirit; a demon; a diabolically cruel or wicked person Upstarting: to spring or start up suddenly Plume: a feather Token: a memento; souvenir; keepsake Bust: a sculptured, painted, drawn, or engraved representation of the upper part of the human figure, especially a portrait sculpture showing only the head and shoulders of the subject www. dictionary. com

Stanza 18 And the raven, never flitting, 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!

The End