Once upon a midnight dreary, as I pondered, weak and Over many a quaint and curious volume of lore While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a As if some one gently rapping, at my chamber door "Tis some visitor," I muttered, tapping at my chamber door this Only and nothing more
Muttering I got up weakly, always had trouble sleeping Stumbling upright my mind racing, furtive flowing once more I there hoping for some sunrise, happiness be a surprise Loneliness no longer a prize, at my chamber door Seeking out the clever bore, lost in dreams more Only this and nothing
Hovering my pulse was racing, stale tobacco my lips Scotch sitting my basin, remnants of the night before Came again infernal tapping on the door, in my mind Is it in or outside rapping, calling out to me more The fit and fury of Lenore, nameless here more And the silken sad uncertain, rustling of the curtain me, filled me
With fantastic terrors never felt before, so that now, oh Stop breathing, hoping yet to calm my 'Tis visitor entreating, entrance at my chamber door Some lost entreating, entrance at my chamber door This is it, and nothing more, deep the darkness peering Long I stood there, wondering fearing, dreaming fantasies No dared to dream before But the silence was unbroken, and the gave no token And the only there spoken, was the whispered name, Lenore
This I thought in out loud whispered my lips The foul name festered, echoing itself this, and nothing more Back into my turning, every nerve within me burning When once again I a tapping, somewhat louder than before "Surely," said I, surely that is something at my staircase the door to see what threat is, open that window, free the shutters Let us this mystery explore, Oh! bursting be still this once And let mystery explore it is the wind and nothing more
Just one Epithet I as inside, I gagged and shuddered When with manly flirt and flutter, in there a stately raven Sleek and ravenous as any foe, not the least made he Not a minutes gesture me, of recognition or politeness But perched above my chamber door, this fowl and visage Insinuating with its knowledge, perched above my door Silent sat and nothing more, a-skance, a-skew
The self's sad fancy at you I swear, at this savage viscous Countenance it wears, though you show scorn and shaven and I admit myself forlorn and craven, grim and ancient raven Wandering from the opiate shores, tell me, Thy Lordly name is? you are not nightmare sewage Some dire drink or inhalation Framed from flames of downtown stroke the raven never more
And the raven sitting lonely, staring at my male sex only one word as if his soul in that one word, he did outpour, pathetic Nothing farther than he uttered, not a feather he fluttered Till finally was I muttered as I stared, dully at the floor friends have flown and left me Flown as each and every hope has flown And as you no doubt will before But the bird said more
Then I felt the air grow denser, from some unseen incense As though accepting angelic intrusion, when in I felt collusion the guise, of false memories respite Respite through the haze of glory I smoke and I the blue vial's glory To forget at once, the base Stroke the raven never Prophet said I, thing of evil, Prophet still, if or devil By that that bend above us, by that God we both ignore Tell this soul with sorrow laden, willful and intent
How had lapsed a pure heart lady, to the of needs Sweaty arrogant dick less liar, who to nothing higher a jab from prick to a needle, straight to betrayal and disgrace The showing not a trace, stroke the raven never more Be that word our of parting Bird or fiend," I yelled upstarting, get thee back into the Into the smoke filled shore, leave no black plume as a token Of the slime thy soul hath spoken, leave my unbroken
Quit as those have quit before, take the talon my heart And see that I can care no more, mattered came before I with the dead Lenore, stroke the raven never more But the raven, flitting Still is sitting silent sitting, above a painting silent Of the forever silenced whole and his eyes all the seeming Of a demon's is dreaming, and the lamplight over him Streaming throws his shadow to the floor I she Who hates me more, I she who hates me more And my soul shall not be from that shadow nevermore