A Beginner's Guide to Old English Poems
The Raven
On On a a rainy rainy night, night, II was was tired tired and and deeply deeply thinking thinking about about the the old old books books II was was reading reading Almost Almost asleeping, asleeping, II heard heard a a lightly lightly hitting, hitting, Someone Someone was was knocking knocking at at my my door. door.
“It “It is is a a visitor”, visitor”, II whispered, whispered, “That’s “That’s all all it it is, is, nothing nothing more.” more.” Suddenly, Suddenly, II remember remember what what happened happened back back in in December, December, The The ashing ashing fire fire started started casting casting shadows shadows on on the the floor. floor. II want want to to stop stop thinking thinking of of tomorrow, tomorrow, where where there there were were still still fears fears to to borrow borrow Reading Reading could could make make me me forget forget my my sorrow sorrow -- sorrow sorrow for for my my lost lost Lenore. Lenore. My My sweet sweet and and beautiful beautiful Lenore, Lenore, She She died, died, and and II am am not not saying saying her her name name no no more. more.
And And the the purple purple and and sad sad curtain curtain made made a a noise, noise, It It scared scared me, me, filled filled me me with with fears fears II have have never never felt felt before, before, And And now, now, while while II got got panicked, panicked, II keep keep repeating repeating “It “It is is just just some some visitor visitor knocking knocking at at my my front front door door -That’s That’s all all it it is, is, nothing nothing more.” more.”
Eventually, Eventually, II got got the the strength strength to to speak, speak, “Mister”, “Mister”, II said, said, “or “or Madam, Madam, II don’t don’t mean mean to to be be rude; rude; II was was napping napping when when you you came came knocking knocking at at my my front front door, door, II could could barely barely heard heard you” you” -- II opened opened the the door, door, Darkness Darkness was was there, there, and and nothing nothing more. more.
II stood stood into into the the dark dark night, night, thinking thinking and and fearing, fearing, fearing fearing the the worst worst into into the the silence silence that that remained remained unbroken unbroken but but the the only only word word heard heard was was the the quiet quiet whisper whisper of of “Lenore!”, “Lenore!”, II was was the the one one who who whispered, whispered, and and it it resounded resounded back back to to me me saying saying “Lenore!”. “Lenore!”. Only Only this this ,, and and nothing nothing more. more.
Back Back into into my my house, house, II felt felt myself myself getting getting easy, easy, Again, Again, that that tapping tapping at at my my door door began, began, this this time time louder louder than than before. before. “Certainly”, “Certainly”, II said, said, “Certainly “Certainly there there must must be be something something at at my my window; window; II will will see see then, then, what what there there is, is, to to find find something something more. more. II need need my my heart heart to to be be still still to to figure figure out out the the mystery, mystery, It It must must be be the the wind, wind, and and nothing nothing more. more.
II opened opened heavily heavily the the window window shutter, shutter, When When an an old old raven raven flight flight right right into into my my room. room. It It did did not not nod nod nor nor strayed strayed at at me, me, As As it it air air was was more more alike alike of of a a lord lord or or lady, lady, it it rested rested above above my my door door -Rested Rested upon upon a a statue statue of of Pallas Pallas like like he he was was the the squire squire of of the the placer placer -It It rested rested there, there, and and nothing nothing more. more.
The The black black raven raven charmed charmed me me into into smiling, smiling, Because Because its its expression expression was was hardly hardly serious, serious, “You “You may may appear appear wear wear and and weary, weary, but but you you are are no no weakling. weakling. Tell Tell me me your your underworld underworld name name He He replied, replied, “Nevermore.” “Nevermore.”
II never never imagine imagine the the raven raven could could speak speak so so clearly, clearly, Though Though its its answer answer was was unusual, unusual, II could could not not help help agreed agreed that that no no living living soul soul Ever Ever have have seen seen aa raven raven above above his his room room door door -Bird Bird or or monster, monster, sitting sitting up up in in his his room room door, door, A A raven raven foolishly foolishly named: named: “Nevermore.” “Nevermore.”
But But the the raven, raven, resting resting lonely, lonely, keep keep repeating repeating only only one one word, word, That That one one expression, expression, as as if if he he could could answered answered everything everything thought thought that that one one word. word. Nothing Nothing else else he he said, said, not not even even a a feather feather did did he he fluttered, fluttered, Then Then II hardly hardly whispered whispered “I “I have have had had other other birds birds before before -In In the the morning morning he he will will leave leave me, me, just just like like all all the the times times before. before. Then Then the the raven raven said, said, “Nevermore.” “Nevermore.”
Shocked Shocked at at the the broken broken silence, silence, “Clearly”, “Clearly”, II said, said, “That “That is is probably probably the the only only word word you you know”, know”, Something Something that that an an old old and and brutal brutal master master may may have have taught taught you, you, He, He, who who spoke spoke you you of of sorrow sorrow and and sadness, sadness, His His sad sad and and melancholic melancholic presence presence keep keep his his madness madness Only Only saying: saying: “Never-Nevermore.” “Never-Nevermore.”
But But the the charming charming raven raven still still got got me me into into smiling, smiling, While While II moved moved a a comfortable comfortable couch couch over over the the crowl; crowl; II sat sat down, down, and and II begin begin thinking, thinking, Thoughts Thoughts of of delusions delusions over over this this old old raven, raven, That That horrible, horrible, macabre, macabre, peaked peaked and and hostile hostile raven raven Said Said while while crowing: crowing: “Nevermore”. “Nevermore”.
II sat sat and and started started guessing, guessing, but but no no word word expressing expressing The The bird’s bird’s eyes eyes burned burned into into my my chest; chest; While While sitting sitting and and my my head head relaxing, relaxing, II started started guessing guessing about about this this and and more, more, On On the the velvet velvet pillow’s pillow’s lining lining the the lamp lamp light light shining shining on on me, me, But But the the violet violet velvet velvet pillow pillow was was filled filled with with the the lamp lamp light light shining shining more, more, II will will never never see see her her again, again, ah, ah, nevermore! nevermore!
Suddenly, Suddenly, the the air air grew grew denser denser as as II smelled smelled an an unseen unseen incenser incenser Swung Swung by by Seraphim, Seraphim, its its footsteps footsteps sounded sounded like like a a metallic metallic bunch bunch of of feathers, feathers, “Sad”, “Sad”, II cried, cried, “this “this God God has has given given you you -- by by these these angels angels he he has has sent sent you. you. Give Give me me a a break, break, and and drugs drugs to to erase erase the the memories memories of of Lenore! Lenore! Drink, Drink, oh oh drink drink down down this this friendly friendly drug, drug, and and forget forget your your lost lost Lenore! Lenore! Said Said the the raven, raven, “Nevermore”. “Nevermore”.
“Seer”, “Seer”, II said, said, “thing “thing of of evil! evil! Yet Yet predictor, predictor, be be aa bird bird or or devil devil -Sent Sent by by the the Devil Devil or or sent sent by by the the storm storm to to this this shore, shore, Lonely Lonely yet yet fearless, fearless, on on this this enchanted enchanted desert desert field, field, On On this this haunted haunted house house – – tell tell me me please, please, II beg beg – – Is Is there there aa healing healing compound compound – – tell tell me, me, II beg beg you, you, please!” please!” Said Said the the raven: raven: “Nevermore”. “Nevermore”.
And And the the raven, raven, never never moving, moving, just just sat sat there, there, still still sitting sitting On On the the faded faded statue statue of of Pallas, Pallas, just just above above my my door, door, And And his his eyes eyes look look as as aa demon demon that that is is dreaming, dreaming, And And the the light light over over him him gliding gliding showed showed his his shadow shadow on on the the floor; floor; And And my my soul soul reflecting reflecting the the shadow shadow standing standing on on the the floor floor Will Will get get up up -- nevermore! nevermore!