Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven Lyrics

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door

Tis some visitor, I muttered, tapping at my chamber door

Only this and nothing more

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak december

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor

Eagerly I wished the morrow; vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow sorrow for the lost lenore

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name lenore

Nameless here for evermore

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating

Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door

This it is and nothing more

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer

Sir said I, or madam, truly your forgiveness I implore

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door

That I scarce was sure I heard you here I opened wide the door

Darkness there and nothing more

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering fearing

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, lenore

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word lenore

Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping something louder than before.

Surely, said I, surely that is something at my window lattice

Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore

Tis the wind and nothing more

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter

In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door

Perched upon a bust of pallas just above my chamber door

Perched, and sat, and nothing more

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore

Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou, I said, "art sure no craven

Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the night's plutonian shore

Quoth the raven nevermore

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly

Though its answer little meaning little relevancy bore

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door

With such name as nevermore

But the raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only

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

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

Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore

Of never nevermore

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

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

On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er

But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er

She shall press, ah, nevermore

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor

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 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, tell me, I implore

Quoth the raven nevermore

Prophet said I, thing of evil prophet still, if bird or devil

By that heaven that bends above us by that god we both adore

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

Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend I shrieked upstarting

Get thee back into the tempest and the nights 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

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

And the lamp-light 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