2. 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 had I sought

to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow, sorrow for the

lost LenoreFor the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore

Nameless here for evermore. 3. And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple

curtain Thrill'd 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

doorSome late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door ;

This it is, and nothing more. 4. 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 open'd wide the door ;

Darkness there, and nothing more. 5. 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 darkness

gave no token, And the only word there spoken was the whisper'd

word “ Lenore !" This I whisper'd, and an echo murmur'd back the word “ Lenore'

Merely this, and nothing more. 6. Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within

me burning, Soon I heard again 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

exploreLet my

heart be still a moment and this mystery explore ;

'Tis the wind, and nothing more !” 7. Open here I flung a shutter, when with many a flirt

and flutter In there stepp'd a stately raven of the saintly days

of yore; Not the least obeisance made he; not an instant

stopp'd or stay'd he; But with mien of lord or lady, perch'd above my

chamber doorPerch'd upon a bust of Pallas, just above my chamber door

Perch'd and sat, and nothing more. 8. Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into

smiling,
grave

and stern decorum of the countenance

By the

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 !” 9. Much I marvell’d this ungainly fowl to hear dis

course so plainly, Though its answer little meaning-little relevancy

bore; For we cannot help agreeing that no living human

being Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his cham

ber door, Bird or beast upon the sculptur'd bust above his chamber door,

With such a name as “Nevermore."

10. 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 further then he utter'd—not a feather then

he flutteredTill I scarcely more than mutter'd, “Other friends

have flown before_ On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.”

Then the bird said “ Nevermore." 11. 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 unmerci

ful disaster Follow'd fast and follow'd faster, till his songs one

burden boreTill the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore

Of “ Never-nevermore."

12. But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into

smiling, Straight I wheel'd a cushion'd 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 yoreWhat this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore

Meant in croaking “Nevermore." 13. Thus I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable

expressing To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burnt 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 ! 14.“ Prophet !” said I, “ thing of evil-prophet still,

if bird or devil ! By that heaven that bends above us, by that God

we both adoreTell this soul, with sorrow laden, if within the

distant Aidenn It shall clasp sainted maiden whom the angels

name LenoreClasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore,” Quoth the raven,

" Nevermore.” 15. “ Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!”

I shriek'd upstarting“Get thee back into the tempest and the night's

Plutonian shore !

Leave no black plume as a token of the 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." 16. 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 dæmon'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 is floating on the floor Shall be lifted “Nevermore."

E. A. PoE.

THE OUTLANDISH KNIGHT. 1. An outlandish knight came from the North lands,

And he came a-wooing to me,
And he told me he'd take me into the North lands,

And there he would marry me.
2. “Come, fetch me some of your father's gold,

And some of your mother's fee;
And two of the best nags out of the stable,

Where they stand thirty and three.”
3. She fetched him some of her father's gold

And some of her mother's fee;
And two of the best nags out of the stable,

Where they stood thirty and three.
4. She mounted her on her milk-white steed,

He on the dapple grey ;