Once upon a midnight dreary, as I pondered, weak and Over many a quaint and volume of forgotten lore While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly came a tapping As if some one gently rapping, at my chamber door "Tis some visitor," I muttered, at my chamber door only this Only and nothing more
I got up weakly, always I've had trouble sleeping Stumbling upright my mind racing, furtive thoughts once more I there hoping for some sunrise, happiness be a surprise Loneliness no a prize, rapping at my chamber door Seeking out the clever bore, lost in dreams more Only and nothing more
my pulse was racing, stale tobacco my lips tasting Scotch sitting upon my basin, of the night before Came again infernal tapping on the door, in my mind Is it in or rapping, calling out to me once more The fit and fury of Lenore, here forever more And the silken sad uncertain, rustling of the purple Thrilled me, me
fantastic terrors never felt before, so that now, oh wind Stop breathing, yet to calm my breathing 'Tis visitor entreating, entrance at my chamber door Some lost visitor entreating, entrance at my chamber This is it, and nothing more, into the darkness peering Long I stood there, wondering fearing, dreaming fantasies No mortal dared to dream But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no And the only there spoken, was the whispered name, Lenore
This I in out loud whispered from my lips The foul name festered, echoing merely this, and nothing more Back into my chamber turning, every nerve me burning When once again I heard a tapping, somewhat louder than "Surely," said I, surely that is at my iron staircase Open the to see what threat is, open that window, free the shutters Let us this mystery explore, Oh! bursting heart be this once And let this mystery explore it is the and nothing more
Just one I muttered as inside, I gagged and shuddered When with manly flirt and flutter, in there flew a stately Sleek and ravenous as any foe, not the least made he Not a minutes gesture towards me, of recognition or But perched above my chamber door, fowl and salivating visage Insinuating its knowledge, perched above my chamber door Silent sat and staring nothing more, a-skance,
The sad fancy smiles 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, me, what Thy Lordly name is? you are not nightmare sewage Some dire powdered or inhalation Framed from flames of lore stroke the raven never more
And the raven lonely, staring sickly at my male sex only That one word as if his soul in one word, he did outpour, pathetic Nothing farther than he uttered, not a feather then he Till finally was I that as I stared, dully at the floor Other have flown and left me Flown as and every hope has flown before And as you no doubt will before But the said never more
Then I felt the air denser, perfumed from some unseen incense As though angelic intrusion, when in fact I felt collusion Before the guise, of false respite Respite the haze of cocaine's glory I smoke and I the blue vial's glory To forget at once, the Lenore the raven never more Prophet said I, thing of evil, still, if bird or devil By that Heaven bend above us, by that God we both ignore Tell this soul with sorrow laden, willful and destructive
How had lapsed a pure lady, to the greediest of needs Sweaty arrogant dick less liar, who ascribed to higher Than a jab from to a needle, straight to betrayal and disgrace The conscience showing not a trace, stroke the never more Be that word our sign of Bird or fiend," I upstarting, get thee back into the tempest Into the filled bottle's shore, leave no black plume as a token Of the slime thy soul hath spoken, my loneliness unbroken
Quit as have quit before, take the talon from my heart And see that I can care no more, whatever mattered came I vanished with the dead Lenore, stroke the never more But the raven, flitting Still is silent sitting, above a painting silent painting Of the forever silenced whole and his have all the seeming Of a that is dreaming, and the lamplight over him throws his shadow to the floor I love she Who hates me more, I she who hates me more And my soul shall not be from that shadow nevermore