Once a midnight dreary, as I pondered, weak and weary Over many a quaint and curious of forgotten lore While I nodded, napping, suddenly there came a tapping As if some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber "Tis visitor," I muttered, tapping at my chamber door only 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 sunrise, happiness would be a surprise no longer a prize, rapping at my chamber door Seeking out the clever bore, lost in forever more Only and nothing more
Hovering my was racing, stale tobacco my lips tasting Scotch sitting upon my basin, remnants of the before Came again infernal tapping on the door, in my mind Is it in or outside rapping, out to me once more The fit and fury of Lenore, nameless here forever And the silken sad uncertain, rustling of the curtain Thrilled me, me
With fantastic terrors never felt before, so that now, oh Stop breathing, hoping yet to my breathing 'Tis some visitor entreating, at my chamber door Some visitor entreating, entrance at my chamber door This is it, and nothing more, deep into the darkness Long I stood there, wondering fearing, dreaming fantasies No mortal dared to before But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness no token And the only word spoken, was the whispered name, Lenore
This I thought in out loud whispered my lips The foul festered, echoing itself merely this, and nothing more Back into my chamber turning, every within me burning When once again I heard a tapping, somewhat than before "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 be still this once And let this mystery explore it is the wind and 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 Silent sat and nothing more, a-skance, a-skew
The self's sad fancy smiles at you I swear, at savage viscous Countenance it wears, you show here scorn and shaven and I admit forlorn and craven, ghastly grim and ancient raven Wandering from the opiate shores, tell me, Thy name is? That you are not nightmare sewage Some dire powdered or inhalation Framed from flames of downtown lore stroke the never more
And the raven lonely, staring sickly at my male sex only That one word as if his in that one word, he did outpour, pathetic Nothing farther than he uttered, not a then he fluttered Till finally was I that muttered as I stared, dully at the Other friends have flown and me as each and every hope has flown before And as you no doubt before tomorrow But the bird said never
Then I felt the air grow denser, perfumed from some incense As accepting angelic intrusion, when in fact I felt collusion Before the guise, of false memories Respite through the haze of cocaine's I smoke and I smoke the blue glory To at once, the base Lenore Stroke the raven more Prophet said I, thing of evil, Prophet still, if bird or By that Heaven that bend us, by that God we both ignore Tell this with sorrow laden, willful and destructive intent
How had lapsed a pure heart lady, to the greediest of Sweaty arrogant dick less liar, who to nothing higher Than a jab from prick to a needle, straight to and disgrace The conscience not a trace, stroke the raven never more Be word our sign of parting Bird or fiend," I upstarting, get thee back into the tempest the smoke filled bottle's shore, leave no black plume as a token Of the slime thy soul hath spoken, my loneliness unbroken
as those have quit before, take the talon from my heart And see that I can care no more, whatever came before I vanished the dead Lenore, stroke the raven never more But the raven, flitting Still is sitting silent sitting, above a painting painting Of the forever silenced whole and his eyes all the seeming Of a demon's that is dreaming, and the over him Streaming throws his shadow to the I love she Who hates me more, I love she who me more And my soul shall not be lifted from that shadow