Introduction
Welcome to my corner! Last week, I shared with you the Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli film Howl's Moving Castle. I hope you were inspired to watch it!
This week, I'll be sharing with you the first part of "The Raven" poem by Edgar Allan Poe. I'll share a few of my thoughts toward the end, but most of my thoughts will be left for next week's column. Enjoy!
The Raven
Edgar Allan Poe
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--
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 mortal 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 somewhat 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;--
'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 of 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 by shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore--
Tell me what they 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 to that no living human being
Ever yet 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 the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing farther than 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."
I must admit, I've never been a big fan of poetry. I blame homework for that. "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe was one of the few, if not the only poems I had to read in school for homework that I actually enjoyed.
In large part, school is what helped introduce me to Edgar Allan Poe. And now, I can't get enough of him!
You might remember some of my first columns were over Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart."
I remember when we started the unit on Edgar Allan Poe in high school, the teacher let us watch a YouTube video of Vincent Price reading "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. Oh boy, did I fall in love, not only for Edgar Allan Poe, but also for Vincent Price. What a legend. Best day in class ever!
Ever since then, I've been a fan of both of them. I can only imagine that Vincent Price was a fan of Poe's as well as he did at least seven movies centered on Poe's work in his extensive career. I've seen three of those movies, including House of Usher (1960), The Raven (1963) and The Masque of the Red Death (1964). You can bet I'll be watching the others in due time as well.
That's it for this week! What were your thoughts? Feel free to share them with us! You can call us, email us, visit us at the office, leave us a comment or message on Facebook, or even mail us something. Keep the comments, suggestions, questions, submissions, etc. coming our way! We'd love to hear from you!
