I love Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven. I was re-reading it in a book called Poetry for Young People: Edgar Allan Poe. It really helped me to understand what the poems were about, what Poe was saying, so on. Before each poem there is a summery of it. Here's the summery of The Raven:
This is probably Poe's most famous poem. "The Raven" is a great poem to read out loud. It's a bit long, but with some practice you can read it with the kind of expression that will give your friends goosebumps. The poem opens on a man alone in his house. He is very sad over the death of Lenore, the women he loved, and he is reading to relieve his sorrow. He hears what he thinks is a person knocking at his door. Eventually he learns that it is not a person at all but a bird-a raven. At first he is amused, but soon grows sad. The bird can only say one word, "Nevermore," and that word reminds him that nothing can bring back his lost Lenore.
So now I'm going to give you guys The Raven, but I 'm going to add a little. I'm going to underline my favorite lines, and give the definitions of some of the words. Because sometimes if you don't know what the word means, a sentence sounds like gobbledygook.
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 name 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 stillness 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 I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
"Surly," said I, "surly that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then what threat 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 blest with seeing bird above his chamber door-
Bird or beast upon 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 fancy 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 lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee-by these angels he
hath 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 name Lenore-
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Be that word our sign in 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 lamplight 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
OK, so this is going to be my longest post ever! So defining the words I can do this! *Gulp* This is going to be hard. I'm going to do it in chronological order. Let's go!
Lore: Legend
Surcease: an end
Entreating: Requesting
Token: Clue
Lattice: Window covering made of strips of crossed wood
Yore: Long Ago
Obeisance: A sign of obedience
Mien: appearance
Pallas: Athena, goddess of wisdom
Ebony: Black
Beguiling: Charming
Decorum: Dignity
Countenance: Facial Expression
Craven: Coward
Plutonian: Deathly
Ungainly: Clumsy
Discourse: Speech
Relevancy: Importance
Dirges: Burial Songs
Ominous: Spooky
Divining: coming to a conclusion
Denser: Thicker
Censer: Incense Burner
Seraphim: Angel
Nepenthe: Drink that causes forgetfulness
Quaff: To Drink
Tempter: The Devil
Tempest: Storm
Desolate: Alone
Undaunted: Unafraid
Balm: Soothing Oil
Gilead: Ancient place in the Middle East known for its balm
Aidenn: Aidin, a rich province in Turkey
Plume: Feather
Pallid: Pale
So, that's The Raven, I hope you liked this post. Remember to tell me what you think of this post by checking off a box under the title. Thanks for reading!
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