The Raven (excerpts)

Boo. Happy Halloween!

 THE RAVEN (excerpts) by Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849)
                        Written in 1845.....It follows a young man's loss of his love, Lenore, and the raven drives him into madness, especially when it never leaves...

 Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, came a tapping. Tapping at my chamber door. Only this and nothing more...

 Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating no longer. Here I opened wide the door; Darkness there and nothing more.

 Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning. 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.Perched and sat, and nothing more.

 But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only that one word, as if his soul in that one word did outpour. "Nevermore"

 But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird. Thinking what this ominous bird of yore meant in croaking "Nevermore".

 "Prophet" said I "thing of evil, prophet still, if bird or devil, 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. Tell this soul with sorrow laden, if, within the distant Aidenn, clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore." 

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore!"

"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore! Leave my loneliness unbroken. take thy beak from out my heart, and take they form from of my door.

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore!"

And that Raven, never flitting, ,still is sitting, STILL is sitting, just above my chamber door; and his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, and the lamp light 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......

Photographs 2018