Quoth the raven, nevermore

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious column 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."

"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!
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 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!

Comments

[Pragmatik]

As cheesy as it might seem, I scored an Edgar action figure while I was in Baltimore visiting last week. It can be had on the web, too, I believe, at: http://www.accoutrements.com/actionfigures/11316.html

Also, if you are interested, the E.A. Poe Society of Baltimore has most of his works online: http://www.eapoe.org/

Poe is always close to hearts of Baltimoreans who actually read, I guess. The Library of American editions are great, but you have to go with the Everyman's Library Pocket Poets for a nice (almost complete) edition of his poems that can be carried around on cool autumn evenings:)

You're learning bass? Bass is the greatest. That's actually how I met my wife:)

[katieb]

I love the title of your book section "Read and Weep!"