I N M I D A I R P R O D U C T I O N S in association with THE BELL AND BARTER THEATER & C U LT U R A L A R T S C E N T E R presents
In the
Lonesome October !e Works of
E DGAR ALLAN POE October 24, 2010 3:00 PM The Bell and Barter Theater & Cultural Arts Center 13 Church Street ! Rockaway, New Jersey
In Mid Air Productions is a theatrical group dedicated to the performance of new music and the preservation and presentation of infrequently performed treasures. IMAP showcases the talents of professional musicians and offers performance opportunities for young, aspiring actors. IMAP sponsors the Seasonal Sunday Salon Series. These are comprised of four yearly concerts which highlight the works of famous poets through readings and songs. Our salons are have a strong literary and thematic base and marry traditional and contemporary settings with the works of classic authors. Please subscribe to our blog, inmidairproductions.wordpress.com to keep up to date on all our latest news. And please join us for our next concert, Amid the Blinding Snow: Songs of Love Lost on February 20, 2011 in this same theater. !
Emily Clare Thompson, Executive Director
SEASONAL SUNDAY SALON SERIES In the Lonesome October
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe October 24, 2010 3:00
PM
The Bell and Barter Theater and Cultural Arts Center Rockaway, NJ !
Production Staff Creative Director Emily Clare Thompson Musical Director and Conductor Robert W. Butts Artistic Consultant Richard D. Russell !
Singers Alexandra Altonjy, Daniel Foran, Kristine Hart, Iliya Roitman, Pamela Stein, Emily Clare Thompson, Mark Fitzgerald Wilson !
Instrumentalists Flute Margaret Walker h Clarinet Chris Dugan h Bassoon Andrew Pecota Violin Aimee Briant h Violoncello Nancy Connell Piano Aaron Dai !
Cast Edgar Allan Poe Daniel Natkie
Virginia Clemm Jessica Castro !
Technical Director Steven Schweer Crew Eloise Gayer Poe consultant and scholar David Hardin illustrations by W. Heath Robinson program design by Richard D. Russell !
Special Thanks to The Bell and Barter Theater & Cultural Arts Center Director Bud Masters
!
Program
A Poe Short Tone Poem................................................ by Andrew Pecota Chris Dugan, clarinet, Andrew Pecota, bassoon, Aimee Briant, violin, Nancy Connell, cello !
Poem Reading: A Dream !
A Poe Fantasia................................................................. by Richard D. Russell Kristine Hart, soprano, Mark Fitzgerald Wilson, baritone, Aaron Dai, piano
Poem Reading: Ulalume Poe’s Ulalume will be read between the four movements 1) A Dream Within a Dream (Part 1) 2) To The River 3) A Dream Within a Dream (Part 2) 4) Alone !
Winter Moods.................................................................. by Robert W. Butts
Margaret Walker, flute, Andrew Pecota, bassoon, Aimee Briant, violin, Nancy Connell, cello
Poem Reading: The Raven
Winter Moods accompanies the reading of Poe’s The Raven !
Poem Reading: Evening Star !
Eldorado............................................................................ by Richard D. Russell
Emily Clare Thompson, soprano, Aimee Briant, violin, Nancy Connell, cello Aaron Dai, piano !
Poem Reading: The Bridal Ballad !
Annabel Lee..................................................................... by Richard D. Russell
Daniel Foran, tenor, Aimee Briant, violin, Nancy Connell, cello Aaron Dai, piano !
Poem Reading: A Dream
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INTERMISSION
!
The Tell-Tale Heart....................................................... by Robert W. Butts An Opera in One Act a re-imagination of Poe’s classic tale, libretto by the composer
Pamela Stein, Miss Fiddleback, Alexandra Altonjy, Mrs. Moody, Iliya Roitman, Sergeant Doug Anderson, Tom Loughman, Tony Shashaty, policemen Aimee Briant, violin, Nancy Connell, cello, Margaret Walker, flute, Chris Dugan, clarinet, Andrew Pecota, bassoon, Aaron Dai, piano Emily Clare Thompson, director
Born January 19, 1809, Edgar Allan Poe was one of three children born to David and Elizabeth Arnold Poe, both struggling actors. In the first three years of his life, Edgar saw his alcoholic father leave the family destitute, his mother succumb to an illness that eventually took her life, and the remainder of his family scattered amongst patrons willing to take them in. After the death of his mother, young Edgar was taken in by Frances and John Allan, a young wealthy couple who took pity on him. As a young boy, Edgar was educated in some of the best schools, in both the United States and England. Later he attended the University of Virginia and West Point, with a stint in the United States Army. Although he excelled academically, he found he had a propensity for gambling and drink, which led to a glut of financial obligations. With only small successes in the publication of his work, Poe used his skill in the written word to secure employment as a magazine editor. The magazine industry gave Poe a forum within which to publish his work, increasing his popularity. Even though his involvement with a magazine normally led to significant increases in circulation, his argumentative attitude and alcoholism lost him many a position. At the age of twenty-six, Poe married Virginia Clemm, a paternal cousin thirteen years his junior. The loss of Virginia to tuberculosis years later seemed to have a significant effect on Poe’s writing. “Melancholy” as he called it, seemed to overcome him. Again, he turned to alcohol. The themes of death, darkness, revenge, obsession, and insanity would be threaded through nearly all of his writing. Edgar Allan Poe died broke and broken on October 7th, 1849, never being able to get beyond the loss of his beloved Virginia. The strings of disappointments, losses, and failures, in employment, love, and finances, in combination with the mind of a literary genius would be the downward spiral that would define his life. His mastery and use of the language, combined with his methodical technique and macabre style would be known as Poe’s trademark. --Dave Hardin
COMPOSER BIOS Maestro Robert W. Butts has entertained and thrilled audiences through his passionate conducting and performing.!He currently serves as Music Director/Conductor of The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey and New Jersey Concert Opera and as artistic director with Opera At Florham. Since 2006, he has provided dynamic leadership as Artistic Director for the Summer Festival of Baroque Music held in Madison, New Jersey. He has conducted performances featuring The New Jersey Symphony, Harmonium Choral Society, and the Masterwork Chorus. Maestro Butts is a 2010 Finalist for the American Prize in Orchestral Conducting.! One of New Jersey's leading opera performers, Maestro Butts’ performances have been praised in Wagner Notes: Newsletter of the Wagner Society of New York: "Under the luminous baton of Maestro Robert Butts…brought forth a beautifully nuanced performance from his musicians.”! His performance of Puccini's Tosca was described thealternativepress.com as "a complete operatic experience, the full measure of the work vibrating powerfully in every bar." As a composer, Maestro Butts has had many chamber music and orchestral works performed throughout New York and New Jersey.! Maestro Butts is also a revered lecturer throughout New Jersey on a variety of musical topics. He is on the faculties of Montclair State University and The College of Saint Elizabeth.
Richard has been active in the New York Composers Circle for several years having served on its steering committee and as Managing Director. His music is published by Design for Lightning Music (ASCAP). Visit rdrussell.com for more information. i
PERFORMER BIOS Alexandra Altonjy is a student at the College of St. Elizabeth, pursuing a Double Major in Music and English. She has previously performed in musicals including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the operetta Pirates of Penzance, and Verdi’s opera Rigoletto. She will perform in Die Fledermaus and L’Incoronazione di Poppea later this summer. Alexandra is excited to be working with In Mid Air Productions and participating in an event which promotes contemporary music and local composers. i
Aimee Morrill Briant Aimee Morrill Briant received her bachelor’s degree at The Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut in violin performance.! At age 16, she began her first professional orchestra experience as a member of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra.! ! She is currently a member of the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey, assistant concertmaster of the New Sussex Symphony, and concert master for the Essex County Summer Players.! i
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Andrew Pecota has served as principal bassoonist with The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey, New Jersey Concert Opera, Opera at Florham and other orchestras and opera companies throughout NJ.! An early music enthusiast, he has performed several times at the Boston Early Music Festival.! His interest in Baroque and Classical era music has led him to discover rarely heard works of the period, edit and analyze them, then bring them to life, often presenting the first modern day performance of these musical masterpieces. i
Richard. D. Russell, a multi-year ASCAPlus winner, has had his music performed internationally and at prominent venues in New York. Highlights include a September 11, 2002 memorial performances of Remembrances at Merkin Concert Hall. His music has been performed in Bulgaria, Japan, and Israel. New York venues include Symphony Space Thalia, CAMI Hall, the Ethical Culture Society, and Mannes College of Music, where he serves as the director of the Extension Division. Richard’s most recent success was an awarded commission by Fordham University’s “Poets Out Loud” faculty group; this commission was referred by the esteemed musicologist Lawrence Kramer.
Jessica Castro is pleased to return for her third Seasonal Salon after debuting last April in a portrayal of Emily Dickinson in “A Little Madness in the Spring.” She was president of the St. Joseph Theater Company in Metuchen and is currently a freshman at the Barnard College of Columbia University. i
Nancy Connell majored in music/ composition at Middlebury College and went on to receive a PhD in bacterial genetics at Harvard. During graduate school, she played in Boston’s Longwood Symphony Orchestra and in the Albert Einstein Symphony Orchestra during her post-doc fellowship in the Bronx. Now Professor of Infectious Disease at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark, Nancy plays in the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey, and is a student of Semyon Fridman.! i
Aaron Dai, a graduate of Columbia University and Mannes College of Music, has concertized as a pianist around the country, performing in New York, Philadelphia, Houston, Phoenix, and San Francisco. As a composer, he is best known for his fifteen-minute miniature opera Hamlet, and The Night Before Christmas for Narrator and Orchestra, which has been narrated by Richard Kind (2006), Ana Gasteyer (2007), David Hyde Pierce (2008), and Charles Busch (2009). Most recently, Mr. Dai was the Musical Consultant for the award-winning Off-Broadway play The Temperamentals by Pulitzer-nominated playwright Jon Marans. Mr. Dai lives and teaches in New York City. i
Christopher Dugan is a junior at Montclair State University, where he studies clarinet with David Singer of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Chris plays regularly with the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey. i
Tenor Daniel Foran holds a Masters Degree in classical performance from Manhattan School of Music, where he studied under the tutelage of Neil Rosenshein. As one of fourteen children, Daniel has never shied away from performing in front of a crowd which has helped make him a natural for the stage. Mr. Foran has performed in numerous and varied roles with the American Symphony Orchestra, the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey, Manhattan School of Music, Opera at Florham and William Paterson University, to name a few. i
Kristine Hart, formerly known as “Kristine Winkler” has sung in many opera houses and concert halls around the country. After being named a National Grand Finals Winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Ms. Hart subsequently made her Metropolitan Opera Debut as the 15-year-old girl in Lulu. Other debuts quickly followed, at Florida Grand Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Palm Beach Opera, Omaha Opera, Opera Pacific, and Glimmerglass Opera. Ms. Hart received her Master of Music degree in voice at Indiana University and her Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Ball State University. i
Weisman's chamber opera Fade with American Opera Projects, performances through the Britten-Pears Young Artist Program “New Music, New Media” at Aldeburgh Music Festival in the U.K., the Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival at Mass MoCA (through which she appeared on a PBS documentary singing the music of Pulitzer Prize winning composer David Lang), the Left Bank Concert Society of Washington D.C., “New Music, New Haven,” and Yamaha Hall's Young Concert Artist Series in Manhattan. Ms. Stein received her Master's degree in vocal performance from The Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University and currently teaches voice and music history at The College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown, New Jersey. www.pamelastein.net i
Emily Clare Thompson began her operatic career at the age of eight, when she debuted as gingerbread child in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. A life long student of theater and voice with soprano Marian Thompson, Emily has been involved in over seventy productions as either a performer, director, or writer. She has been a stage director for Mannes College’s Extension program. Her directing credits include operettas, musical theater, and operas. She is the author of the first half of today’s program. i
Margaret Walker holds an M.M. from DePaul University and performs with several area orchestras. She is a founding member of Arioso Consorte, Zephyrs Winds, and Elysian Players in New Jersey and was a founding member of Loop Group, specializing in contemporary music in Chicago. i
Daniel Natkie is a sophomore at Drew University. He is delighted to portray Edgar Allan Poe in his this, his second production with IMAP. i
Ilya Roitman is A native of Tallinn, Estonia. He had studied in Israel under the baton of Michael Shani at the Gary Berniti School of Singing., and studied theater arts at Alef Arts School, Tel Aviv, Israel, and at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Iliya had worked extensively for the New Israeli Opera. Credits in America include Marullo (Rigoletto) at Florham Opera. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Music degree in classical performance at William Paterson University Where he had recently sung the roles of Dulcamara (L'elisir d'amore), Dandini (La Cenerentola) and Figaro (La Nozze di Figaro.) i
Praised for her “rich dramatics” (The Boston Globe), Pamela Stein has earned a reputation for bringing passion and intelligence to every performance. A recipient of The Phyllis Bryn-Julson Prize for commitment to and Performance of 20th and 21st Century Music, Ms. Stein has built an exciting career on her work with some of today's most prominent contemporary composers. Recent performances include the role of Julia Dehning in the world premier of the opera The Making of Americans at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the role of the Maid in Stefan
Mark Fitzgerald Wilson made his debut this year with the Asheville Lyric Opera performing Escamillo.! Martha Fawbush CVNC, described his dramatic interpretation of Escamillo: “impressive vocally and dramatically and often drew sustained applause and shouts of approval from the audience.” He also debut with the Harford Chorale singing the solo baritone part in Orff ’s Carmina Burana. Mr. Wilson will be performing a concert of American Sacred Music including Carlisle Floyd and Lee Hoiby at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Morristown, NJ Feb 11, 2011. Mr. Wilson holds degrees from Simpson College (Iowa) and the University of Houston. Currently residing in Glen Ridge, NJ, he is a native of Iowa. Mr. Wilson is an active performer and educator. i
Dave Hardin is IMAP’s scholarly consultant for today’s concert and the author of the program’s biography of Poe. He holds a bachelors degree from William Paterson College in English Literature and a Masters in Education from Marygrove College. He has found an affinity for Poe's stories while teaching Literature in East Hanover since 2002. Although he will not claim to be an expert, he has thoroughly enjoyed analyzing Poe's works for deeper meaning. Feel free to talk to him after the show. i
Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
for dramatic purposes, today’s performance frequently employs excerpts from Poe’s poetry. Here are the complete texts. A DREAM In visions of the dark night I have dreamed of joy departedBut a waking dream of life and light Hath left me broken-hearted. Ah! what is not a dream by day To him whose eyes are cast On things around him with a ray Turned back upon the past? That holy dream- that holy dream, While all the world were chiding, Hath cheered me as a lovely beam A lonely spirit guiding.
But when within thy wave she looksWhich glistens then, and tremblesWhy, then, the prettiest of brooks Her worshipper resembles; For in his heart, as in thy stream, Her image deeply liesHis heart which trembles at the beam Of her soul-searching eyes. !
ALONE From childhood's hour I have not been As others were; I have not seen As others saw; I could not bring My passions from a common spring. From the same source I have not taken My sorrow; I could not awaken My heart to joy at the same tone; And all I loved, I loved alone.
What though that light, thro' storm and night, So trembled from afarWhat could there be more purely bright In Truth's day-star? !
A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM
Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now, Thus much let me avowYou are not wrong, who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream. I stand amid the roar Of a surf-tormented shore, And I hold within my hand Grains of the golden sandHow few! yet how they creep Through my fingers to the deep, While I weep- while I weep! O God! can I not grasp Them with a tighter clasp? O God! can I not save One from the pitiless wave? Is all that we see or seem But a dream within a dream? !
TO THE RIVER Fair river! in thy bright, clear flow Of crystal, wandering water, Thou art an emblem of the glow Of beauty- the unhidden heartThe playful maziness of art In old Alberto's daughter;
Then- in my childhood, in the dawn Of a most stormy life- was drawn From every depth of good and ill The mystery which binds me still: From the torrent, or the fountain, From the red cliff of the mountain, From the sun that round me rolled In its autumn tint of gold, From the lightning in the sky As it passed me flying by, From the thunder and the storm, And the cloud that took the form (When the rest of Heaven was blue) Of a demon in my view. !
ULALUME The skies they were ashen and sober; The leaves they were crisped and sereThe leaves they were withering and sere; It was night in the lonesome October Of my most immemorial year; It was hard by the dim lake of Auber, In the misty mid region of WeirIt was down by the dank tarn of Auber, In the ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir. Here once, through an alley Titanic, Of cypress, I roamed with my SoulOf cypress, with Psyche, my Soul. There were days when my heart was volcanic As the scoriac rivers that rollAs the lavas that restlessly roll Their sulphurous currents down Yaanek In the ultimate climes of the poleThat groan as they roll down Mount Yaanek In the realms of the boreal pole.
Our talk had been serious and sober, But our thoughts they were palsied and sereOur memories were treacherous and sereFor we knew not the month was October, And we marked not the night of the year(Ah, night of all nights in the year!) We noted not the dim lake of Auber(Though once we had journeyed down here), Remembered not the dank tarn of Auber, Nor the ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir. And now, as the night was senescent, And star-dials pointed to mornAs the star-dials hinted of mornAt the end of our path a liquescent And nebulous lustre was born, Out of which a miraculous crescent Arose with a duplicate hornAstarte's bediamonded crescent Distinct with its duplicate horn. And I said- "She is warmer than Dian: She rolls through an ether of sighsShe revels in a region of sighs: She has seen that the tears are not dry on These cheeks, where the worm never dies, And has come past the stars of the Lion, To point us the path to the skiesTo the Lethean peace of the skiesCome up, in despite of the Lion, To shine on us with her bright eyesCome up through the lair of the Lion, With love in her luminous eyes." But Psyche, uplifting her finger, Said- "Sadly this star I mistrustHer pallor I strangely mistrust:Oh, hasten!- oh, let us not linger! Oh, fly!- let us fly!- for we must." In terror she spoke, letting sink her Wings until they trailed in the dustIn agony sobbed, letting sink her Plumes till they trailed in the dustTill they sorrowfully trailed in the dust. I replied- "This is nothing but dreaming: Let us on by this tremulous light! Let us bathe in this crystalline light! Its Sybilic splendor is beaming With Hope and in Beauty to-night:See!- it flickers up the sky through the night! Ah, we safely may trust to its gleaming, And be sure it will lead us arightWe safely may trust to a gleaming That cannot but guide us aright, Since it flickers up to Heaven through the night." Thus I pacified Psyche and kissed her, And tempted her out of her gloomAnd conquered her scruples and gloom; And we passed to the end of the vista, But were stopped by the door of a tombBy the door of a legended tomb; And I said- "What is written, sweet sister, On the door of this legended tomb?"
She replied- "Ulalume- Ulalume'Tis the vault of thy lost Ulalume!" Then my heart it grew ashen and sober As the leaves that were crisped and sereAs the leaves that were withering and sereAnd I cried- "It was surely October On this very night of last year That I journeyed- I journeyed down hereThat I brought a dread burden down hereOn this night of all nights in the year, Ah, what demon has tempted me here? Well I know, now, this dim lake of AuberThis misty mid region of WeirWell I know, now, this dank tarn of Auber, This ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir." !
THE RAVEN 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 doorOnly 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 LenoreFor the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name LenoreNameless 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 doorSome 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 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." 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 doorPerched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber doorPerched, 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 shoreTell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore." Much I marveled 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 blest with seeing bird above his chamber doorBird 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 further then he uttered- not a feather then he flutteredTill I scarcely more than muttered, "other friends have flown beforeOn 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 boreTill the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore Of 'Never- nevermore'." But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy 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 yoreWhat 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 lamplight gloated o'er, But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er, She shall press, ah, nevermore! Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls 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 enchantedOn this home by horror haunted- tell me truly, I imploreIs 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 adoreTell 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." "By 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! !
EVENING STAR 'Twas noontide of summer, And mid-time of night; And stars, in their orbits, Shone pale, thro' the light Of the brighter, cold moon, 'Mid planets her slaves, Herself in the Heavens, Her beam on the waves. I gazed awhile On her cold smile; Too cold- too cold for meThere pass'd, as a shroud, A fleecy cloud, And I turned away to thee, Proud Evening Star, In thy glory afar, And dearer thy beam shall be; For joy to my heart Is the proud part Thou bearest in Heaven at night, And more I admire Thy distant fire, Than that colder, lowly light. !
ELDORADO Gaily bedight, A gallant knight, In sunshine and in shadow, Had journeyed long, Singing a song, In search of Eldorado. But he grew oldThis knight so boldAnd o'er his heart a shadow Fell as he found No spot of ground That looked like Eldorado. And, as his strength
Failed him at length, He met a pilgrim shadow"Shadow," said he, "Where can it beThis land of Eldorado?" "Over the Mountains Of the Moon, Down the Valley of the Shadow, Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied"If you seek for Eldorado!" !
THE BRIDAL BALLAD The ring is on my hand, And the wreath is on my brow; Satin and jewels grand Are all at my command, And I am happy now. And my lord he loves me well; But, when first he breathed his vow, I felt my bosom swellFor the words rang as a knell, And the voice seemed his who fell In the battle down the dell, And who is happy now. But he spoke to re-assure me, And he kissed my pallid brow, While a reverie came o'er me, And to the church-yard bore me, And I sighed to him before me, Thinking him dead D'Elormie, "Oh, I am happy now!" And thus the words were spoken, And this the plighted vow, And, though my faith be broken, And, though my heart be broken, Here is a ring, as token That I am happy now! Would God I could awaken! For I dream I know not how! And my soul is sorely shaken Lest an evil step be taken,Lest the dead who is forsaken May not be happy now. !
Illustrations by W. Heath Robinson
ANNABEL LEE!(1849) It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee. And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me. I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea; But we loved with a love that was more than loveI and my Annabel Lee; With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven Coveted her and me. And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee; So that her highborn kinsman came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulchre In this kingdom by the sea. The angels, not half so happy in heaven, Went envying her and meYes!- that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee. But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than weOf many far wiser than weAnd neither the angels in heaven above, Nor the demons down under the sea, Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee. For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride, In the sepulchre there by the sea, In her tomb by the sounding sea.