Once upon a dreary, as I pondered, weak and weary Over many a quaint and curious volume of lore While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a As if one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door "Tis some visitor," I muttered, tapping at my chamber only this Only and nothing more
Muttering I got up weakly, I've had trouble sleeping Stumbling upright my mind racing, thoughts flowing once more I there for some sunrise, happiness would be a surprise Loneliness no longer a prize, rapping at my chamber Seeking out the bore, lost in dreams forever more Only and nothing more
Hovering my was racing, stale tobacco my lips tasting Scotch sitting upon my basin, of the night before Came again infernal on the door, in my mind jabbing Is it in or outside rapping, calling out to me once The fit and fury of Lenore, nameless forever more And the sad uncertain, rustling of the purple curtain Thrilled me, me
With terrors never felt before, so that now, oh wind Stop breathing, hoping yet to calm my 'Tis some visitor entreating, entrance at my chamber Some lost visitor entreating, at my chamber door This is it, and nothing more, deep into the peering I stood there, wondering fearing, doubting dreaming fantasies No mortal dared to dream But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness no token And the only word spoken, was the whispered name, Lenore
This I thought in out loud whispered my lips The foul festered, echoing itself merely this, and nothing more Back into my turning, every nerve within me burning When once again I heard a tapping, somewhat than before "Surely," said I, surely that is something at my staircase Open the to see what threat is, open that window, free the shutters Let us this mystery explore, Oh! bursting heart be still once And let this mystery explore it is the and nothing more
Just one Epithet I muttered as inside, I gagged and When manly flirt and flutter, in there flew a stately raven Sleek and ravenous as any foe, not the least made he Not a minutes gesture towards me, of or politeness But above my chamber door, this fowl and salivating visage Insinuating with its knowledge, above my chamber door Silent sat and staring nothing more, a-skance,
The self's sad smiles at you I swear, at this savage viscous Countenance it wears, you show here scorn and shaven and I admit myself and craven, ghastly grim and ancient raven Wandering from the shores, tell me, what Thy Lordly name is? That you are not nightmare Some dire drink or inhalation from flames of downtown lore stroke the raven never more
And the raven sitting lonely, staring sickly at my sex only That one word as if his soul in that one word, he did outpour, Nothing farther than he uttered, not a feather then he finally was I that muttered as I stared, dully at the floor Other friends flown and left me Flown as each and every hope has before And as you no doubt will before But the bird said never
Then I felt the air denser, perfumed from some unseen incense As accepting angelic intrusion, when in fact I felt collusion Before the guise, of memories respite Respite through the of cocaine's glory I smoke and I smoke the vial's glory To forget at once, the Lenore Stroke the raven never Prophet said I, of evil, Prophet still, if bird or devil By that Heaven that bend above us, by that God we both this soul with sorrow laden, willful and destructive intent
How had lapsed a pure lady, to the greediest of needs Sweaty arrogant dick less liar, who to nothing higher Than a jab prick to a needle, straight to betrayal and disgrace The conscience showing not a trace, stroke the raven never Be word our sign of parting Bird or fiend," I yelled upstarting, get thee back into the Into the filled bottle's shore, leave no black plume as a token Of the slime thy soul hath spoken, my loneliness unbroken
Quit as have quit before, take the talon from my heart And see that I can no more, whatever mattered came before I vanished with the dead Lenore, the raven never more But the raven, flitting is sitting silent sitting, above a painting silent painting Of the forever whole and his eyes have all the seeming Of a demon's is dreaming, and the lamplight over him Streaming throws his to the floor I love she Who me more, I love she who hates me more And my soul shall not be lifted that shadow nevermore