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