That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. Nothing farther then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered Till I scarcely more than muttered, 'Other friends have flown before On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.' Then the bird said, 'Nevermore.' 60 Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, Doubtless,' said I, 'what it utters is its only stock and store, Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster Followed fast and followed faster, till his songs one burden bore But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door; Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore 70 What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking 'Nevermore.' This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing To the fowl, whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core; This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining 75 On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er, But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er, She shall press, ah, nevermore! Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer, Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor. 80 'Wretch,' I cried, 'thy God hath lent thee-by these angels he hath sent thee Respite-respite and nepenthe° from thy memories of Lenore! Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!' Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.' 'Prophet!' said I, 'thing of evil!-prophet still, if 85 bird or devil! Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted On this home by Horror haunted-tell me truly, I implore Is there is there balm in Gilead?° - tell me me, I implore!' Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.' - tell 90 Prophet!' said I, 'thing of evil!-prophet still, if bird or devil! By that Heaven that bends above us we both adore - by that God Tell this soul with sorrow laden, if, within the distant Aidenn,° It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.' Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.' 95 'Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked, upstarting 'Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore! Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken!-quit the bust above my door! 100 Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!' Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.' And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, 105 And the lamplight, o'er him streaming, throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow, that lies floating on the floor, Shall be lifted-nevermore! THE BELLS EDGAR ALLAN POE HEAR the sledges with the bells Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells ! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night! 5 While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens, seem to twinkle Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells From the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells. Hear the mellow wedding bells Golden bells! What a world of happiness their harmony foretells! How they ring out their delight! What a liquid ditty floats To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats On the moon! O, from out the sounding cells, What a gush of euphony voluminously wells! How it swells, How it dwells On the future! how it tells Of the rapture that impels IO 15 20 25 30 To the swinging and the ringing Of the bells, bells, bells, |