Once upon a dreary, as I pondered, weak and weary Over many a quaint and curious volume of 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 this and nothing more
Muttering I got up weakly, always had trouble sleeping Stumbling my mind racing, furtive thoughts flowing once 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, lost in dreams forever Only and nothing more
Hovering my pulse was racing, stale my lips tasting Scotch sitting upon my basin, remnants of the before Came infernal tapping on the door, in my mind jabbing Is it in or outside rapping, calling out to me once The fit and fury of Lenore, here forever more And the sad uncertain, rustling of the purple curtain Thrilled me, me
With fantastic terrors never felt before, so now, oh wind Stop breathing, hoping yet to calm my 'Tis visitor entreating, entrance 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, doubting fantasies No mortal to dream before But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no And the only word there spoken, was the whispered name,
This I thought in out loud whispered my lips The name 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 louder before "Surely," I, surely that is something at my iron staircase Open the door to see what 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 nothing
Just one I muttered as inside, I gagged and shuddered When with manly flirt and flutter, in flew a stately raven Sleek and ravenous as any foe, not the least made he Not a gesture towards me, of recognition or politeness But above my chamber door, this fowl and salivating visage Insinuating with its knowledge, above my chamber door Silent sat and staring 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 forlorn and craven, ghastly 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 sitting lonely, staring sickly at my male sex only That one word as if his in that one word, he did outpour, pathetic Nothing than he uttered, not a feather then he fluttered Till finally was I muttered as I stared, dully at the floor Other friends have flown and me Flown as and every hope has flown before And as you no doubt will tomorrow But the bird said never
I felt the air grow denser, perfumed from some unseen incense As though accepting angelic intrusion, when in I felt collusion Before the guise, of false respite Respite through the haze of glory I smoke and I smoke the blue glory To at once, the base Lenore Stroke the raven never Prophet said I, thing of evil, Prophet still, if or devil By that Heaven that bend above us, by 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 prick to a needle, to betrayal and disgrace The conscience showing not a trace, stroke the never more Be that word our sign of Bird or fiend," I yelled upstarting, get thee back into the the smoke filled bottle's shore, leave no black plume as a token Of the thy soul hath spoken, leave my loneliness unbroken
Quit as have quit before, take the talon from my heart And see that I can care no more, mattered came before I vanished with the dead Lenore, stroke the never more But the raven, flitting Still is sitting silent sitting, a painting silent painting Of the forever whole and his eyes have all the seeming Of a demon's that is dreaming, and the lamplight him Streaming throws his 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