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by Edgar Allan Poe (1809 - 1849)

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I...
Language: English 
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 --
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name 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."
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 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 explore --
Let 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 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 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."

Much I marvelled 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 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 further then 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."

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 bore-
Till 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 yore --
What 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 enchanted --
On this home by horror haunted -- tell me truly, I implore --
Is 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 adore-
Tell 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."

"Be that word our sign in 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! 

T. Hemberger sets stanza 5
W. Levey sets stanza 5
E. Rapoport sets stanza 5
D. Scattergood sets stanza 5
B. Shapleigh sets stanza 5
P. Southey sets stanza 5
E. Sternberg sets stanza 5

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Edgar Allan Poe (1809 - 1849), "The raven", appears in The Raven and Other Poems, first published 1845 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by George Arthur Barker (1812 - 1876), "The raven", published 1862 [ SATB chorus ], recitative chant [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Samuel Beman , "The raven", published 1850, from The Nightingale or The Jenny Lind Songster, vol. 1 no. 103 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Arthur Bergh (1882 - 1962), "The raven", op. 20, published 1910 [ narrator and piano or orchestra ], melodrama [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Arcady Dubensky (1890 - 1966), "The raven", published 1933 [ voice and orchestra ], recitative [sung text not yet checked]
  • by John Habash , "The raven", published 1963 [ SATB chorus ], note: words adapted by Edna Lewis; changes not noted above [sung text not yet checked]
  • by H. Stanley Hawley (1867 - 1916), "The raven", published 1894 [ voice and piano ], recitative [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Max Heinrich (1853 - 1916), "The raven", published 1905 [ voice and piano ], recitative [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Theodor Hemberger (b. 1891), "Lenore", op. 35 no. 1, published 1910, stanza 5 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by William Charles Levey (1837 - 1894), "The raven", stanza 5 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Eda Ferdinand Rapoport (1900 - 1969), "The raven", op. 15, published 1939, stanza 5 [ soprano, string quartet, and contrabass or string orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by D. Scattergood , "The raven", published 1865, stanza 5 [ four-part chorus ], chant [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Bertram Shapleigh (1871 - 1940), "The raven", op. 50, published 1906, stanza 5 [ chorus and orchestra ], cantata [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Phimon L. Southey, né V. P. Sullivan , "Lenore's Answer: Spirit Song", published 1923, stanza 5 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Erich-Walter Sternberg (1891 - 1974), "The raven", published 1953, stanza 5 [ baritone and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in Portuguese (Português), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by José de Lima Siqueira.
      • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]

Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Augustin Eugen Mužík) , "Havran", first published 1885
  • HUN Hungarian (Magyar) (Árpád Tóth) , "A Holló"


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-09-27
Line count: 110
Word count: 1102

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