"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published inJanuary 1845. It is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernaturalatmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing theman'sslowdescentintomadness.Thelover,oftenidentifiedasbeingastudent,islamentingthelossofhislove,Lenore.SittingonabustofPallas,theravenseemstofurtherinstigatehisdistresswithitsconstantrepetitionoftheword"Nevermore".Thepoemmakesuseofanumberoffolkandclassicalreferences.

Poeclaimedtohavewrittenthepoemvery logicallyandmethodically, intendingtocreateapoem that would appeal to both critical and popular tastes, as he explained in his 1846follow-upessay"ThePhilosophyofComposition".Thepoemwasinspiredinpartbyatalkingraven in thenovelBarnabyRudge:ATaleof theRiotsof 'EightybyCharlesDickens.Poeborrows the complex rhythm and meter of Elizabeth Barrett's poem "Lady Geraldine'sCourtship",andmakesuseofinternalrhymeaswellasalliterationthroughout.

"TheRaven"wasfirstattributedtoPoeinprint intheNewYorkEveningMirroronJanuary29,1845.ItspublicationmadePoewidelypopular inhis lifetime,thoughitdidnotbringhimmuchfinancialsuccess.Soonreprinted,parodied,andillustrated,criticalopinionisdividedastothepoem'sstatus,thoughitremainsoneofthemostfamouspoemseverwritten.

This editions contains all 25 illustrations by Gustave Doré from the 1884 Harper & Bros.edition.

EdgarAllanPoe

Theraven(illustratedbyGustaveDoré)ePubr1.0

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Títulooriginal:TheravenEdgarAllanPoe,1845Ilustraciones:GustaveDoré

Editordigital:17ramsorePubbaser1.2

THERAVEN

by

EDGARALLANPOE

ILLUSTRATED

ByGUSTAVEDORÉ

WITHCOMMENTBYEDMUNDC.STEDMANNEWYORK

HARPER&BROTHERS,PUBLISHERS,FRANKLINSQUARE

1884

LISTOFILLUSTRATIONS

WithNamesofEngravers

Title-page,designedbyElihuVedder.………………FrederickJuengling.

"Nevermore."………………H.Claudius,G.J.Buechner.

ANANKE.………………H.Claudius.

"Onceuponamidnightdreary,whileIpondered,weakandweary,Overmanyaquaintandcuriousvolumeofforgottenlore."………………R.A.Muller.

"Ah,distinctlyIremember,itwasinthebleakDecember,Andeachseparatedyingemberwroughtitsghostuponthefloor."………………R.G.Tietze.

"EagerlyIwishedthemorrow;vainlyIhadsoughttoborrowFrommybookssurceaseofsorrow—sorrowforthelostLenore."………………H.Claudius.

"SorrowforthelostLenore."………………W.Zimmermann.

"FortherareandradiantmaidenwhomtheangelsnameLenore—Namelesshereforevermore."………………FrederickJuengling.

"''Tissomevisitorentreatingentranceatmychamberdoor—Somelatevisitorentreatingentranceatmychamberdoor.'"………………W.Zimmermann.

—"HereIopenedwidethedoor;—Darknessthere,andnothingmore."………………H.Claudius.

"Doubting,dreamingdreamsnomortaleverdaredtodreambefore."………………F.S.King.

"'Surely,'saidI,'surelythatissomethingatmywindowlattice;Letmesee,then,whatthereatis,andthismysteryexplore.'"………………FrederickJuengling.

"OpenhereIflungtheshutter."………………T.Johnson.

—"AstatelyRavenofthesaintlydaysofyore.Nottheleastobeisancemadehe;notaminutestoppedorstayedhe."………………R.Staudenbaur.

"PercheduponabustofPallasjustabovemychamberdoor—Perched,andsat,andnothingmore."………………R.G.Tietze.

"WanderingfromtheNightlyshore."………………FrederickJuengling.

"TillIscarcelymorethanmuttered,'Otherfriendshaveflownbefore—Onthemorrowhewillleaveme,asmyhopeshaveflownbefore.'"………………FrankFrench.

"Then,uponthevelvetsinking,IbetookmyselftolinkingFancyuntofancy."………………R.Schelling.

"Butwhosevelvetvioletliningwiththelamplightgloatingo'erSheshallpress,ah,nevermore!"………………GeorgeKruell.

"'Wretch,'Icried,'thyGodhathlentthee—bytheseangelshehathsenttheeRespite—respiteand

nepenthefromthymemoriesofLenore!'"………………VictorBernstrom.

"OnthishomebyHorrorhaunted."………………R.Staudenbaur.

"'Tellmetruly,Iimplore—Isthere—istherebalminGilead?—tellme—tellme,Iimplore!'"………………W.Zimmermann.

"'Tellthissoulwithsorrowladenif,withinthedistantAidenn,ItshallclaspasaintedmaidenwhomtheangelsnameLenore.'"………………F.S.King.

"'Bethatwordoursignofparting,birdorfiend!'Ishrieked,upstarting."………………W.Zimmermann.

"'GettheebackintothetempestandtheNight'sPlutonianshore!'"………………RobertHoskin.

"AndmysoulfromoutthatshadowthatliesfloatingonthefloorShallbelifted—nevermore!"………………R.G.Tietze.

ThesecretoftheSphinx.………………R.Staudenbaur.

COMMENTONTHEPOEM.

Thesecretofapoem,nolessthanajest'sprosperity,liesintheearofhimthathearsit.Yieldtoitsspell,acceptthepoet'smood:this,afterall,iswhatthesagesanswerwhenyouaskthemofitsvalue.Eventhoughthepoethimself,inhisothermood,tellyouthathisartisbutsleightofhand,hisfoodenchanter'sfood,andoffertoshowyouthetrickofit,—believehimnot.Waitforhisprophetichour;thengiveyourselftohispassion,hisjoyorpain."WeareinLove'shandto-day!"singsGautier, inSwinburne'sbuoyantparaphrase,—andfrommorntosunsetwearewaftedontheviolentsea:thereisbutonelove,oneMay,oneflowerystrand.Loveiseternal,allelseunrealandputaside.Thevisionhasanend,thescenechanges;butwehavegainedsomething,thememoryofacharm.Asmanypoets,somanycharms.ThereisthecharmofEvanescence,thatwhichlendstosupremebeautyandgraceanaureoleofPathos.SharewithLandorhisone"nightofmemoriesandofsighs"forRoseAylmer,andyouhavethistothefull.

Andnowtakethehandofanew-worldminstrel,strayedfromsomeproperhabitattothatrudeanddissonantAmericawhich,asBaudelairesaw,"wasforPoeonlyavastprisonthroughwhichheran,hither and thither,with the feverish agitation of a being created to breathe in a purerworld," andwhere"hisinteriorlife,spiritualasapoet,spiritualevenasadrunkard,wasbutoneperpetualefforttoescapetheinfluenceofthisantipatheticalatmosphere."Claspthesensitivehandofatroubledsingerdreeingthushisweird,andsharewithhimtheclimeinwhichhefound,—neverthroughouttheday,alwaysinthenight,—ifnottheAtlantiswhencehehadwandered,atleastaplaceofrefugefromtheboundsinwhichbydayhewasimmured.

Toonelandonlyhehaspowertoleadyou,andforonenightonlycanyousharehisdream.AtractofneitherEarthnorHeaven:"No-man's-land,"outofSpace,outofTime.Herearetheperturbedones,throughwhoseeyes,likethoseoftheCenci,thesoulfindswindowsthoughthemindisdazed;here spirits,groping for thepathwhich leads toEternity, arehaltedanddelayed. It is the limboof"planetarysouls,"whereinareallmoonlightuncertainties,alllostlovesandillusions.Heresomearefixedintrance,theonlyrespiteattainable;others

"movefantasticallyToadiscordantmelody:"

whileeverywhereare

"SheetedMemoriesofthePast—ShroudedformsthatstartandsighAstheypassthewandererby."

Suchistheland,andforonenightweenterit,—anightofastralphasesandrecurrentchimes.Itsmonodies are twelvepoems,whosemusic strives to changeyet ever is the same.Onebyone theysound, like the chiming of the brazen and ebony clock, in "TheMasque of theRedDeath,"which

made thewaltzers pausewith "disconcert and tremulousness andmeditation," as often as the hourcameround.

Ofallthesemysticalcadences,theplaintofTheRaven,vibratingthroughtheportal,chieflyhasimpressedtheouterworld.Whatthingsgotothemakingofapoem,—andhowtrueinthis,asinmostelse,thatracewhichnameditsbards"themakers"?Aworkiscalledoutofthevoid.Wheretherewasnothing,itremains,—anewcreation,partofthetreasureofmankind.Andafewexceptionallyrics,morethanothersthatareequallycreative,compelustothinkanewhowbravelythepoet'spenturnsthingsunknown

"toshapes,andgivestoairynothingAlocalhabitation,andaname."

Eachseemswithoutaprototype,yetallfascinateuswithelementswrestedfromtheshadowoftheSupernatural.Nowthehighestimaginationisconcernedaboutthesoulofthings;itmayormaynotinspire the Fantasy that peoples with images the interlunar vague. Still, one of these lyrics, in itssmallerway,affectsuswithasenseofuniqueness,assurelyasthesublimerworksofasupernaturalcast,—Marlowe's "Faustus," the "Faust"ofGoethe, "Manfred,"or even thoseetherealmasterpieces,"TheTempest"and"AMidsummerNight'sDream."Morethanone,whileotherwiseunique,hassomeburdenorrefrainwhichhauntsthememory,—onceheard,neverforgotten,likethetoneofararelyusedbutdistinctiveorgan-stop.NotableamongthemisBürger's"Lenore,"thatghostlyandresonantballad, the lure and foil of the translators. Fewwill deny that Coleridge'swondrous "Rime of theAncientMariner"standsattheirveryhead."LeJuif-Errant"wouldhaveclaims,hadBerangerbeenagreaterpoet;and,butfortheirremotenessfrompopularsympathy,"TheLadyofShalott"and"TheBlessedDamozel"mightbeaddedtothelist.ItwasgiventoEdgarAllanPoetoproducetwolyrics,"TheBells"andTheRaven,eachofwhich,althoughperhapsof lessbeauty than thoseofTennysonand Rossetti, is a unique. "Ulalume," while equally strange and imaginative, has not the universalqualitythatisaportionofourtest.

TheRaven in sheerpoetical constituents fallsbelowsuchpiecesas "TheHauntedPalace," "TheCity in the Sea," "The Sleeper," and "Israfel." The whole of it would be exchanged, I suspect, byreadersofafastidiouscast,forsuchpassagesasthese:

"Around,byliftingwindsforgot,ResignedlybeneaththeskyThemelancholywaterslie.

NoraysfromtheholyheavencomedownOnthelongnight-timeofthattown;ButlightfromouttheluridseaStreamsuptheturretssilently—

UpmanyandmanyamarvellousshrineWhosewreathédfriezesintertwineTheviol,theviolet,andthevine.

NoswellingstellthatwindsmaybeUponsomefar-offhappiersea—NoheavingshintthatwindshavebeenOnseaslesshideouslyserene."

Itlackstheaerialmelodyofthepoetwhoseheart-stringsarealute:

"Andtheysay(thestarrychoirAndtheotherlisteningthings)ThatIsrafeli'sfireIsowingtothatlyreBywhichhesitsandsings—ThetremblinglivingwireOfthoseunusualstrings."

ButTheRaven, like"TheBells"and"AnnabelLee,"commends itself to themanyand thefew. Ihave said elsewhere that Poe's rarer productions seemed to me "those in which there is theappearance, at least, of spontaneity,—in which he yields to his feelings, while dying falls andcadencesmostmusical,mostmelancholy,comefromhimunawares."Thisisstillmybelief;andyet,upon a fresh studyof this poem, it impressesmemore than at any time sincemyboyhood.Closeacquaintancetellsinfavorofeverytrueworkofart.Inducetheman,whoneitherknowsartnorcaresforit,toexaminesomepoemorpainting,andhowsoonitsforcetakesholdofhim!Infact,hewilloverratetherelativevalueofthefirstgoodworkbywhichhisattentionhasbeenfairlycaught.TheRaven, also, has consistent qualitieswhich even an expertmust admire. In no other of its author'spoems is themotivemore palpably defined. "The Haunted Palace" is just as definite to the selectreader,butPoescarcelywouldhavetakenthatsubtleallegoryforbaldanalysis.TheRaveniswhollyoccupiedwiththeauthor'stypicaltheme—theirretrievablelossofanidolizedandbeautifulwoman;butonothergrounds,also,thepublicinstinctiscorrectinthinkingithisrepresentativepoem.

Amanofgeniususuallygainsafootingwiththesuccessofsomeoneeffort,andthisisnotalwayshisgreatest.Recognitionisthemoreinstantforhavingbeenpostponed.Hedoesnotacquireit,likeamiser's fortune, coin after coin, but "not at all or all in all." And thus with other ambitions: thecourtier, soldier, actor,—whatever their parts,—each counts his triumph from some lucky stroke.Poe'sRaven,despiteaugury,wasforhim"thebirdthatmadethebreezetoblow."ThepoetsettledinNew-York, in thewinterof1844-'45, findingworkuponWillis'spaper,"TheEveningMirror,"andeking out his income by contributions elsewhere. For six years he had been an activewriter, andenjoyedaprofessionalreputation;washeldinbothrespectandmisdoubt,andwasatnolossforhisshareoftheill-paidjournalismofthatday.Healsohaddonemuchofhisverybestwork,—suchtalesas"Ligeia"and"TheFalloftheHouseofUsher,"(thelattercontainingthatmysticalcounterpart,inverse,ofElihuVedder's"ALostMind,")suchanalyticfeatsas"TheGoldBug"and"TheMysteryofMarieRoget."Hehadmadeproselytesabroad,andgainedalastingholdupontheFrenchmind.Hehadlearnedhisownpowerandweakness,andwasathisprime,andnotwithoutacertainreputation.But he hadwritten nothing thatwas on the tongue of everybody. To rare and delicatework some

populartouchmustbeaddedtocapturethegeneralaudienceofone'sowntime.ThroughtheindustryofPoe'ssuccessivebiographers,thehitmadebyTheRavenhasbecomean

oft-told tale.Thepoet'syoungwife,Virginia,was fadingbeforehis eyes,but lingered for anotheryearwithindeath'sshadow.The long, lowchamber in thehousenear theBloomingdaleRoad isasfamousastheroomwhereRougetdel'IslecomposedtheMarseillaise.Allhaveheardthatthepoem,signed"Quarles,"appearedinthe"AmericanReview,"withapseudo-editorialcommentonitsform;thatPoereceivedtendollarsforit;thatWillis,thekindestandleastenviousoffashionablearbiters,reprinted itwithaeulogy that instantlymade it town-talk.Alldoubtof itsauthorshipwasdispelledwhen Poe recited it himself at a literary gathering, and for a time he was the most marked ofAmericanauthors.Thehitstimulatedandencouragedhim.Likeanotherandproudersatirist,hetoofound "something of summer" even "in the hum of insects." Sorrowfully enough, but three yearselapsed,—aperiodofinfluence,pride,anguish,yetalwaysofimaginativeorcriticallabor,—beforethefinaldefeat,beforethecurtaindroppedonalifethatforhimwasintruthatragedy,andheyieldedto"theConquerorWorm."

"The American Review: A Whig Journal" was a creditable magazine for the time, double-columned,printedongoodpaperwithcleartype,andillustratedbymezzotintportraits.Amidmuchmatterbelow thepresent standard, it contained some that anyeditorwouldbeglad to receive.Theinitialvolume,for1845,hasarticlesbyHoraceGreeley,DonaldMitchell,WalterWhitman,Marsh,Tuckerman,andWhipple.RalphHoyt'squaintpoem,"Old,"appeared in thisvolume.AndherearethreelyricsbyPoe:"TheCityintheSea,""TheValleyofUnrest,"andTheRaven.Twoofthesewerebuilt up,—such was his way,—from earlier studies, but the last-named came out as if freshlycomposed,andalmostaswehaveitnow.Thestatementthatitwasnotafterwardrevisediserroneous.Eleventriflingchangesfromthemagazine-textappearinTheRavenandOtherPoems,1845,abookwhichthepoetshortlyfeltencouragedtoofferthepublic.Thesearemostlychangesofpunctuation,or of singlewords, the latter kindmade to heighten the effect of alliteration. InMr. Lang's prettyeditionofPoe'sverse,broughtoutinthe"ParchmentLibrary,"hehasshowntheinstinctofascholar,andhasdonewisely,ingoingbacktothetextinthevolumejustmentioned,asgivenintheLondonissue of 1846.The "standard"Griswold collection of the poet'sworks aboundswith errors. Thesehave been repeated by later editors, who also havemade errors of their own. But the text ofTheRaven,owing to therequestsmade to theauthor formanuscriptcopies,wasstill farther revisedbyhim;infact,heprinteditinRichmond,justbeforehisdeath,withthepoeticsubstitutionof"seraphimwhose foot-falls" for "angels whose faint foot-falls," in the fourteenth stanza. Our present text,therefore,whilesubstantiallythatof1845,issomewhatmodifiedbythepoet'slaterreading,andis,Ithink,themostcorrectandeffectiveversionofthissinglepoem.Themostradicalchangefromtheearliest version appeared, however, in the volume in 1845; the eleventh stanza originally havingcontainedtheselines,faultyinrhymeandotherwiseablemishonthepoem:

"Caughtfromsomeunhappymaster,whomunmercifulDisasterFollowedfastandfollowedfaster—so,whenHopehewouldadjure,SternDespairreturned,insteadofthesweetHopehedaredadjure—Thatsadanswer,'Nevermore!'"

Itwould bewell if other, and famous, poets could be as sure ofmaking their changes always

improvements.Poeconstantlyrehandledhisscantyshowofverse,andusuallybetteredit.TheRavenwasthefirstofthefewpoemswhichhenearlybroughttocompletionbeforeprinting.Itmaybethatthosewhocareforpoetrylostlittlebyhisdeath.Fluentinprose,heneverwroteverseforthesakeofmakingapoem.Whenarefrainofimagehauntedhim,thelyricthatresultedwastheinspiration,ashehimself said, of a passion, not of a purpose. Thiswas at intervals so rare as almost to justify theFairfieldtheorythateachwastheproductofanervouscrisis.

What,then,gavethepoethiscluetoTheRaven?Fromwhatmistyfoundationdiditriseslowlytoamusicslowlybreathed?Asusual,morethanonethingwenttothebuildingofsonotableapoem.Considering the longersermonsoftenpreachedonbriefand lesssuggestive texts, Ihopenot tobeblamedforthisdiscussionofasinglelyric,—especiallyonewhichanartistlikeDoréhasmadethesubject of prodigal illustration. Until recently I had supposed that this piece, and a few which itsauthor composed after its appearance, were exceptional in not having grown from germs in hisboyish verse.ButMr.FearingGill has shownme someunpublished stanzas byPoe,written in hiseighteenth year, and entitled, "TheDemonof theFire."Themanuscript appears to be in the poet'searly handwriting, and its genuineness is vouched for by the family in whose possession it hasremainedforhalfacentury.Besides theplainestgermsof"TheBells"and"TheHauntedPalace" itcontainsafewlinessomewhatsuggestiveoftheopeningandcloseofTheRaven.Astotherhythmofour poem, a comparison of dates indicates that this was influenced by the rhythm of "LadyGeraldine's Courtship." Poe was one of the first to honorMiss Barrett's genius; he inscribed hiscollectedpoemstoheras"thenoblestofhersex,"andwasinsympathywithherlyricalmethod.Thelinesfromherlove-poem,

"Withamurmurousstiruncertain,intheair,thepurplecurtainSwellethinandswellethoutaroundhermotionlesspalebrows,"

foundanechointhese:

"AndthesilkensaduncertainrustlingofeachpurplecurtainThrilledme—filledmewithfantasticterrorsneverfeltbefore."

HerePoeassumedaprivilegeforwhichheroughlycensuredLongfellow,andwhichnooneeversoughtonhisownpremiseswithoutswiftdetectionandchastisement. Inmelodyandstanzaicform,weshallseethat thetwopoemsarenotunlike,but inmotivetheyaretotallydistinct.Thegenerouspoetess feltnothingbut the trueoriginalityof thepoet. "Thisvividwriting!" sheexclaimed,—"thispowerwhichisfelt!...Ourgreatpoet,Mr.Browning,authorof'Paracelsus,'&c.,isenthusiasticinhisadmiration of the rhythm." Mr. Ingram, after referring to "Lady Geraldine," cleverly points outanother source fromwhichPoemayhavecaughtan impulse. In1843,AlbertPike, thehalf-Greek,half-frontiersman, poet of Arkansas, had printed in "The New Mirror," for which Poe then waswriting, some verses entitled "Isadore," but since revised by the author and called "TheWidowedHeart."IselectfromMr.Pike'srevisionthefollowingstanza,ofwhichthemainfeaturescorrespondwiththeoriginalversion:

"RestlessIpaceourlonelyrooms,Iplayoursongsnomore,Thegarishsunshinesflauntinglyupontheunsweptfloor;Themocking-birdstillsitsandsings,Omelancholystrain!Formyheartislikeanautumn-cloudthatoverflowswithrain;Thouartlosttomeforever,Isadore!"

Herewehaveaprolongedmeasure,asimilarityofrefrain,andtheintroductionofabirdwhosesong enhances sorrow. There are other trails which may be followed by the curious; notably, apassagewhichMr.IngramselectsfromPoe'sfinalreviewof"BarnabyRudge":

"Theraven,too,***mighthavebeenmade,morethanwenowseeit,aportionoftheconceptionofthefantasticBarnaby.***Itscharactermighthaveperformed,inregardtothatoftheidiot,muchthesamepartasdoes,inmusic,theaccompanimentinrespecttotheair."

Nevertheless, after pointing out these germs and resemblances, the value of this poem still isfound in its originality.The progressivemusic, the scenic detail and contrasted light and shade,—aboveall, thespiritualpassionof thenocturn,makeit theworkofaninforminggenius.Asfor thegruesomebird,heisunlikealltheotherravensofhisclan,fromthe"twacorbies"and"threeravens"of theballadists toBarnaby'srumpled"Grip."Hereisnosemblanceof thecawingrookthathauntsancestralturretsandtreadsthefieldofheraldry;nobodingphantomofwhichTickellsangthat,when,

"shriekingatherwindowthrice,Theravenflap'dhiswing,Toowellthelove-lornmaidenknewThesolemnbodingsound."

Poe's raven is a distinct conception; the incarnation of amourner's agony and hopelessness; asableembodiedMemory,theabidingchroniclerofdoom,atypeoftheIrreparable.EscapedacrosstheStyx,from"theNight'sPlutonianshore,"heseemstheimagedsoulofthequestionerhimself,—ofhimwhocannot,willnot,quaffthekindnepenthe,becausethememoryofLenoreisall thatislefthim,andwiththesurceaseofhissorroweventhatwouldbeputaside.

TheRavenalsomaybetakenasarepresentativepoemofitsauthor,foritsexemplificationofallhisnotionsofwhatapoemshouldbe.Thesearefoundinhisessayson"ThePoeticPrinciple,""TheRationaleofVerse,"and"ThePhilosophyofComposition."Poedeclaredthat"inMusic,perhaps,thesoulmostnearlyattainsthegreatendforwhich,wheninspiredbythePoeticSentiment,itstruggles—thecreationofsupernalBeauty....Versecannotbebetterdesignatedthanasaninferiororlesscapablemusic"; but again, verse which is really the "Poetry of Words" is "The Rhythmical Creation ofBeauty,"—this and nothing more. The tone of the highest Beauty is one of Sadness. The mostmelancholyoftopicsisDeath.ThismustbealliedtoBeauty."Thedeath,then,ofabeautifulwomanis,unquestionably,themostpoeticaltopicintheworld,—andequallyisitbeyonddoubtthatthelipsbest suited for sucha topicare thoseofabereaved lover."These lastexpressionsarequoted fromPoe'swhimsicalanalysisofthisverypoem,buttheyindicatepreciselythegeneralrangeofhisverse.

The climax of "The Bells" is themuffledmonotone of ghouls, who glory in weighing down thehuman heart. "Lenore," The Raven, "The Sleeper," "To One in Paradise," and "Ulalume" form atenebrosesymphony,—and"AnnabelLee,"writtenlastofall,showsthatonethemepossessedhimtothe end.Again, these are all nothing if notmusical, and some are touchedwith that quality of theFantasticwhichawakes thesenseofawe,andaddsanewfear toagonyitself.Throughall isdimlyoutlined, beneath a shadowy pall, the poet's ideal love,—so often half-portrayed elsewhere,—theentombedwifeofUsher,theLadyLigeia,intruththecounterpartofhisownnature.Isupposethatanartist'sloveforone"intheform"nevercanwhollyrivalhisdevotiontosomeideal.Thewomannearhimmustexerciseherspells,beallbyturnsandnothinglong,charmhimwithinfinitevariety,orbecontenttoforegoashareofhisallegiance.HemustbeluredbytheUnattainable,andthisiseverjustbeyondhiminhispassionforcreativeart.

Poe,likeHawthorne,cameinwiththedeclineoftheRomanticschool,andnonedelightedmorethanhe to laugh at its calamity.Yet his heartwaswith the romancers and theirOriental orGothiceffects.Hisinvention,sorichintheprosetales,seemedtodeserthimwhenhewroteverse;andhisjudgmenttoldhimthatlongromanticpoemsdependmoreuponincidentthaninspiration,—andthat,to utter the poetry of romance, lyrics would suffice. Hence his theory, clearly fitted to his ownlimitations,that"a'longpoem'isaflatcontradictioninterms."ThecomponentsofTheRavenarefewand simple: a man, a bird, and the phantasmal memory at a woman. But the piece affords a finedisplayofromanticmaterial.Whathavewe?Themidnight;theshadowychamberwithitstomesofforgottenlore;thestudent,—amodernHieronymus;theraven'staponthecasement;thewintrynightand dying fire; the silken wind-swept hangings; the dreams and vague mistrust of the echoingdarkness; the black, uncanny bird upon the pallid bust; the accessories of violet velvet and thegloating lamp. All this stage effect of situation, light, color, sound, is purely romantic, and evenmelodramatic,butofapoeticqualitythatmelodramararelyexhibits,andthoroughlyreflectiveofthepoet's"eternalpassion,eternalpain."

TherhythmicalstructureofTheRavenwassuretomakeanimpression.Rhyme,alliteration,theburden,thestanzaicform,weredevisedwithsingularadroitness.DoubtlessthepoetwasstruckwiththeaptnessofMissBarrett'smusicaltrochaics,in"eights,"andespeciallybythearrangementadoptednearthecloseof"LadyGeraldine":

"'Eyes,'hesaid,'nowthrobbingthroughme!Areyeeyesthatdidundome?Shiningeyes,likeantiquejewelssetinParianstatue-stone!Underneaththatcalmwhiteforehead,areyeeverburningtorridO'erthedesolatesand-desertofmyheartandlifeundone?'"

Hisartisticintroductionofathirdrhymeinboththesecondandfourthlines,andtheadditionofafifthlineandafinalrefrain,madethestanzaofTheRaven.Thepersistentalliterationseemstocomewithouteffort,andoftentherhymeswithinlinesareseductive;whiletherefrainorburdendominatesthewholework.HerealsohehadprofitedbyMissBarrett'sstudyofballadsandromauntsinherownandothertongues.A"refrain"isthelurewherewithapoetoramusicianholdsthewanderingear,—therecurrentlongingofNaturefortheinitialstrain.IhavealwaysadmiredthebeautifulrefrainsoftheEnglishsongstress,—"TheNightingales,theNightingales,""Margret,Margret,""MyHeartandI,""Toll slowly," "TheRiver flowethon," "Pan,Pan is dead," etc. She also employedwhat I term the

Repetend,intheuseofwhichPoehasexcelledallpoetssinceColeridgethusrevivedit:

"Ohappylivingthings!notongueTheirbeautymightdeclare:Aspringoflovegushedfrommyheart,AndIblessedthemunaware:Suremykindsainttookpityonme,AndIblessedthemunaware."

Poe created the fifth line of his stanza for themagic of the repetend. He relied upon it to theuttermost inafewlaterpoems,—"Lenore,""AnnabelLee,""Ulalume,"and"ForAnnie."Itgainedawild andmelancholymusic, I have thought, from the "sweet influences," of theAfric burdens andrepetends that were sung to him in childhood, attuning with their nativemelody the voice of ourSouthernpoet.

"The Philosophy of Composition," his analysis of The Raven, is a technical dissection of itsmethod and structure. Neither his avowal of cold-blooded artifice, nor his subsequent avowal tofriends thatanexposureof thisartificewasonlyanotherofhis intellectualhoaxes,needbewhollycredited.Ifhehaddesignedthecompleteworkinadvance,hescarcelywouldhavemadesoharshapreludeofrattle-panrhymestothedeliciousmelodyofthesecondstanza,—notevenuponhistheoryofthefantastic.Ofcourseanartist,havingperfectedawork,sees,likethefirstArtist,thatitisgood,andseeswhyitisgood.Asubsequentanalysis,coupledwithadisavowalofanysacredfire,readilyenoughmaybemade.Mybelief is that the first conception and roughdraft of this poemcame asinspiration always comes; that its author then saw how it might be perfected, giving it the finaltouchesdescribedinhischapteronComposition,andthatthelatter,therefore,isneitherwhollyfalsenorwhollytrue.Theharmofsuchanalysisisthatittemptsanovicetofancythatartificialprocessescan supersede imagination. The impulse of genius is to guard the secrets of its creative hour.Glimpsesobtainedofthetoil,thebaffledexperiments,whichprecedeatriumph,asinthesketch-workofHawthornerecentlybroughttolight,affordpricelessinstructionandencouragementtothesincereartist.ButonewhovoluntarilyexposeshisMusetothegazeofallcomersshouldrecall thefateofKingCandaules.

Theworld still thinksofPoeasa "lucklessmanofgenius." I recentlyheardhimmentionedas"onewhomeverybodyseemscharteredtomisrepresent,decryorslander."Butitseemstomethathisill-luckendedwithhispitiabledeath,andthatsincethenhisdefencehasbeenpersistent,andhisfameofassteadfastgrowthasasufferingandgiftedauthorcouldprayforinhishopefulhour.Griswold'sdecrialandslanderturnedthecurrentinhisfavor.Criticsandbiographershavecomeforwardwithsuccessiverefutations,withtributestohischaracter,withneweditionsofhisworks.Hisownlettersandtheminuteincidentsofhiscareerarebeforeus;therecord,goodandbad,iswidelyknown.Noappellor has received more tender and forgiving judgement. His mishaps in life belonged to hisregionandperiod,perchancestillmoretohisowninfirmityofwill.Doubtlesshisenvironmentwasnotonetoguardafine-grained,ill-balancednaturefromperilswithoutandwithin.Hisstrongestwill,tobelordofhimself,gainedforhim"thatheritageofwoe."Heconfessedhimselfthebird'sunhappymaster, the stricken sufferer of this poem.But hiswas a full share of that dramatic temperwhichexults in the presage of its own doom. There is a delight in playing one's high part: we are all

gladiators, crying Ave Imperator! To quote Burke's matter of fact: "In grief the pleasure is stilluppermost,andtheafflictionwesufferhasnoresemblancetoabsolutepain,whichisalwaysodious,andwhichweendeavortoshakeoffassoonaspossible."Poewentfarther,andwasanartisteveninthetragedyofhiscareer.If,accordingtohisownbelief,sadnessandthevanishingofbeautyarethehighestpoeticthemes,andpoeticfeelingthekeenestearthlypleasure,thenthesorrowanddarknessofhisbrokenlifewerenotwithouttheirfrequentcompensation.

In the following pages, we have a fresh example of an artist's genius characterizing hisinterpretationofafamouspoem.GustaveDoré,thelastworkofwhosepencilisbeforeus,wasnotthe painter, or even the draughtsman, for realists demanding truth of tone, figure, and perfection.Suchmattersconcernedhimlessthantomakeshapeanddistance,lightandshade,assisthispurpose,—whichwastoexcitethesoul,theimagination,ofthelookeron.Thishedidbyarousingoursenseofawe,throughmarvellousandoftensublimeconceptionsofthingsunutterableandfullofgloomorglory.Itiswellsaidthatifhisworkswerenotgreatpaintings,aspicturestheyaregreatindeed.Asa"literary artist," and such he was, his force was in direct ratio with the dramatic invention of hisauthor,withthebraveaudacitiesof thespirit thatkindledhisown.HencehissuccesswithRabelais,with "Le Juif-Errant," "Les Contes Drolatiques," and "Don Quixote," and hence, conversely, hisfailuretoexpressthebeautyofTennyson'sIdyls,of"IlParadiso,"oftheHebrewpastorals,andothertextsrequiringexaltation,orsweetnessandrepose.Hewasabornmasterofthegrotesque,andbyaspecial insightcouldportray thespectresofahauntedbrain.Weseeobjectsashispersonagessawthem,andwiththeveryeyesoftheWanderingJew,thebewilderedDon,orthegoldsmith'sdaughterwhosefancysomagnifiestheKingintheshoponthePont-au-Change.ItwasinthenatureofthingsthatheshouldbeattractedtoeachmasterpieceofverseorprosethatIhavetermedunique.Thelowerkingdomswerecalledintohisservice;hisrocks,treesandmountains,theskyitself,areanimatewithmotive and diablerie. Had he lived to illustrate Shakespeare, we should have seen a remarkabletreatmentofCaliban,theWitches,thestormin"Lear";butdoubtlessshouldhavequestionedhisidealsofImogenorMiranda.Beautypureandsimple,andtheperfectexcellencethereof,herarelyseemedtocomprehend.

Yet there is beauty in his designs for the "Ancient Mariner," unreal as they are, and aconsecutiveness rare in a series by Doré. The Rime afforded him a prolonged story, with manyshiftingsofthescene.InTheRavensoundandcolorpreservetheirmonotoneandwehavenochangeofplaceoroccasion.What is theresult?Doréproffersaseriesofvariationsupon the themeasheconceived it, "theenigmaofdeathand thehallucinationofan inconsolable soul." In someof thesedrawingshisfaultsareevident;othersrevealhispowerfuloriginality,andthebestqualitiesinwhich,as a draughtsman, he stood alone. Plainly there was something in common between the workingmoodsofPoeandDoré.Thiswouldappearmoreclearlyhadthelattertriedhishanduponthe"Talesof the Grotesque and Arabesque." Both resorted often to the elf-land of fantasy and romance. Inmelodramatic feats they both, through their command of the supernatural, avoided the danger-linebetweentheidealandtheabsurd.PoewasthetruerworshipperoftheBeautiful;hisloveforitwasaconsecrating passion, and herein he parts companywith his illustrator. Poet or artist,Death at lasttransfiguresall:withintheshadowofhissableharbinger,Vedder'ssymboliccrayonaptlysetsthemfacetoface,butenfoldsthemwiththemantleofimmortalwisdomandpower.AnAmericanwomanhaswrought the image of a star-eyedGeniuswith the final torch, the exquisite semblance of onewhosevisionbeholds,butwhose lipsmaynotutter, themysteriesof a landbeyond"thedoorofa

legendedtomb."

EDMUNDC.STEDMAN

NEVERMORE

ANATKH(Inevitability)

THERAVEN

AMidnightDreary

Onceuponamidnightdreary,whileIpondered,weakandweary,Overmanyaquaintandcuriousvolumeofforgottenlore,

WhileInodded,nearlynapping,suddenlytherecameatapping,Asofsomeonegentlyrapping,rappingatmychamberdoor.

“’Tissomevisitor,”Imuttered,“tappingatmychamberdoor—Onlythis,andnothingmore.”

BleakDecember

Ah,distinctlyIrememberitwasinthebleakDecember,Andeachseparatedyingemberwroughtitsghostuponthefloor.

EagerlyIwishedthemorrow;—vainlyIhadsoughttoborrowFrommybookssurceaseofsorrow—sorrowforthelostLenore—

FortherareandradiantmaidenwhomtheangelsnameLenore—Namelesshereforevermore.

VainlyIhadSoughttoBorrow

SorrowforLenore

NamelessHereforEvermore

SomeLateVisitor

AndthesilkensaduncertainrustlingofeachpurplecurtainThrilledme—filledmewithfantasticterrorsneverfeltbefore;

Sothatnow,tostillthebeatingofmyheart,Istoodrepeating,“’Tissomevisitorentreatingentranceatmychamberdoor—

Somelatevisitorentreatingentranceatmychamberdoor;—Thisitis,andnothingmore.”

DarknessthereandNothingMore

Presentlymysoulgrewstronger;hesitatingthennolonger,“Sir,”saidI,“orMadam,trulyyourforgivenessIimplore;

ButthefactisIwasnapping,andsogentlyyoucamerapping,Andsofaintlyyoucametapping,tappingatmychamberdoor,

ThatIscarcewassureIheardyou”—hereIopenedwidethedoor;—Darknessthere,andnothingmore.

DreamsNoMortalEverDaredtoDreamBefore

Deepintothatdarknesspeering,longIstoodtherewondering,fearing,Doubting,dreamingdreamsnomortalseverdaredtodreambefore;

Butthesilencewasunbroken,andthestillnessgavenotoken,Andtheonlywordtherespokenwasthewhisperedword,“Lenore!”

ThisIwhispered,andanechomurmuredbacktheword,“Lenore!”—Merelythis,andnothingmore.

SomethingatMyWindowLattice

Backintothechamberturning,allmysoulwithinmeburning,SoonagainIheardatappingsomewhatlouderthanbefore.

“Surely,”saidI,“surelythatissomethingatmywindowlattice:Letmesee,then,whatthereatis,andthismysteryexplore—

Letmyheartbestillamomentandthismysteryexplore;—’Tisthewindandnothingmore.”

OpenhereIFlungtheShutter

OpenhereIflungtheshutter,when,withmanyaflirtandflutter,Intheresteppedastatelyravenofthesaintlydaysofyore;

Nottheleastobeisancemadehe;notaminutestoppedorstayedhe;But,withmienoflordorlady,perchedabovemychamberdoor—

PercheduponabustofPallasjustabovemychamberdoor—Perched,andsat,andnothingmore.

NottheLeastObeisanceMadeHe

PerchedUponaBustofPallas

WanderingfromtheNightlyShore

Thenthisebonybirdbeguilingmysadfancyintosmiling,Bythegraveandsterndecorumofthecountenanceitwore.

“Thoughthycrestbeshornandshaven,thou,”Isaid,“artsurenocraven,GhastlygrimandancientravenwanderingfromtheNightlyshore—

TellmewhatthylordlynameisontheNight’sPlutonianshore!”QuoththeRaven,“Nevermore.”

MuchImarvelledthisungainlyfowltoheardiscoursesoplainly,Thoughitsanswerlittlemeaning—littlerelevancybore;

ForwecannothelpagreeingthatnolivinghumanbeingEveryetwasblestwithseeingbirdabovehischamberdoor—

Birdorbeastuponthesculpturedbustabovehischamberdoor,Withsuchnameas“Nevermore.”

OtherFriendsHaveFlownBefore

Buttheraven,sittinglonelyontheplacidbust,spokeonly

Thatoneword,asifhissoulinthatonewordhedidoutpour.Nothingfurtherthenheuttered—notafeatherthenhefluttered—TillIscarcelymorethanmuttered,“otherfriendshaveflownbefore—

Onthemorrowhewillleaveme,asmyhopeshaveflownbefore.”Thenthebirdsaid,“Nevermore.”

Startledatthestillnessbrokenbyreplysoaptlyspoken,“Doubtless,”saidI,“whatituttersisitsonlystockandstore,

CaughtfromsomeunhappymasterwhomunmercifulDisasterFollowedfastandfollowedfastertillhissongsoneburdenbore—

TillthedirgesofhisHopethatmelancholyburdenboreOf‘Never—nevermore’.”

FancyUntoFancy

ButtheRavenstillbeguilingallmyfancyintosmiling,StraightIwheeledacushionedseatinfrontofbird,andbustanddoor;

Thenuponthevelvetsinking,IbetookmyselftolinkingFancyuntofancy,thinkingwhatthisominousbirdofyore—

Whatthisgrim,ungainly,ghastly,gauntandominousbirdofyoreMeantincroaking“Nevermore.”

VelvetLining

ThisIsatengagedinguessing,butnosyllableexpressingTothefowlwhosefieryeyesnowburnedintomybosom’score;

ThisandmoreIsatdivining,withmyheadateaserecliningOnthecushion’svelvetliningthatthelamplightgloatedo’er,

Butwhosevelvetvioletliningwiththelamplightgloatingo’er,Sheshallpress,ah,nevermore!

RespiteandNepenthe

Thenmethoughttheairgrewdenser,perfumedfromanunseencenserSwungbySeraphimwhosefootfallstinkledonthetuftedfloor.

“Wretch,”Icried,“thyGodhathlentthee—bytheseangelshehathsenttheeRespite—respiteandnepenthe,fromthymemoriesofLenore!

Quaff,ohquaffthiskindnepentheandforgetthislostLenore!”QuoththeRaven,“Nevermore.”

ByHorrorHaunted

“Prophet!”saidI,“thingofevil!—prophetstill,ifbirdordevil!—WhetherTemptersent,orwhethertempesttossedtheehereashore,

Desolateyetallundaunted,onthisdesertlandenchanted—Onthishomebyhorrorhaunted—tellmetruly,Iimplore—

Isthere—istherebalminGilead?—tellme—tellme,Iimplore!”QuoththeRaven,“Nevermore.”

BalminGilead

WhomtheAngelsNameLenore

“Prophet!”saidI,“thingofevil—prophetstill,ifbirdordevil!BythatHeaventhatbendsaboveus—bythatGodwebothadore—

Tellthissoulwithsorrowladenif,withinthedistantAidenn,ItshallclaspasaintedmaidenwhomtheangelsnameLenore—

ClasparareandradiantmaidenwhomtheangelsnameLenore.”QuoththeRaven,“Nevermore.”

BirdorFiend!

“Bethatwordoursigninparting,birdorfiend,”Ishrieked,upstarting—“GettheebackintothetempestandtheNight’sPlutonianshore!

Leavenoblackplumeasatokenofthatliethysoulhathspoken!Leavemylonelinessunbroken!—quitthebustabovemydoor!

Takethybeakfromoutmyheart,andtakethyformfromoffmydoor!”QuoththeRaven,“Nevermore.”

BackintotheTempest

MySoulfromoutthatShadow

AndtheRaven,neverflitting,stillissitting,stillissittingOnthepallidbustofPallasjustabovemychamberdoor;

Andhiseyeshavealltheseemingofademon’sthatisdreaming,Andthelamplighto’erhimstreamingthrowshisshadowonthefloor;

AndmysoulfromoutthatshadowthatliesfloatingonthefloorShallbelifted—nevermore!

TheSecretoftheSphinx