The Puzzling Pumpkin

The Puzzling Pumpkin
by Roberta Symmes

This is the way the pumpkin looked,
Jolly fellow,- round and yellow!
This is the way the pumpkin looked
Out in the garden green.

This is the way the pumpkin looked,
Spooky,- very, big and scary,
This is the way the pumpkin looked
At jolly Hallowe'en.

Hallowe'en by John Kendrick Bangs

HALLOWE'EN

by John Kendrick Bangs

BRING forth the raisins and the nuts -

To-night All-Hallow's Spectre struts

Along the moonlit way.

No time is this for tear or sob,

Or other woes our joys to rob,

But night for pippin and for bob.

And Jack-o'-Lantern gay.

Come forth ye lass and trousered kid,

From prisoned Mischief raise the lid.

And lift it good and high.

Leave grave old Wisdom in the lurch,

Set Folly on a lofty perch,

Nor fear the awesome rod of birch

When dawn illumes the sky.

'Tis night for revel, set apart

To reillume the darkened heart.

And rout the hosts of dole.

'Tis night when Goblin, Elf, and Fay,

Come dancing in their best array,

To prank and royster on their way.

And ease the troubled soul.

The ghosts of all things past parade.

Emerging from the mist and shade

That hid them from our gaze;

And full of song, and ringing mirth,

In one glad moment of rebirth,

Again they walk the ways of earth

As in the ancient days.

The beacon light shines on the hill,

The will-o'-wisps the forests fill

With flashes filched from noon;

And witches on their broom-sticks spry

Speed here and yonder in the sky,

And lift their strident voices high

Unto the Hunter's Moon.

The air resounds with tuneful notes

From myriads of straining throats.

All hailing Folly Queen;

So join the swelling choral throng,

Forget your sorrow, and your wrong,

In one glad hour of joyous song

To honor Hallowe'en!

The Haunted Palace

The Haunted Palace

by Edgar Allan Poe

In the greenest of our valleys

   By good angels tenanted,

Once a fair and stately palace—

   Radiant palace—reared its head.

In the monarch Thought’s dominion,

   It stood there!

Never seraph spread a pinion

   Over fabric half so fair!

Banners yellow, glorious, golden,

   On its roof did float and flow

(This—all this—was in the olden

   Time long ago)

And every gentle air that dallied,

   In that sweet day,

Along the ramparts plumed and pallid,

   A wingèd odor went away.

Wanderers in that happy valley,

   Through two luminous windows, saw

Spirits moving musically

   To a lute’s well-tunèd law,

Round about a throne where, sitting,

   Porphyrogene!

In state his glory well befitting,

   The ruler of the realm was seen.

And all with pearl and ruby glowing

   Was the fair palace door,

Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing

   And sparkling evermore,

A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty

   Was but to sing,

In voices of surpassing beauty,

   The wit and wisdom of their king.

But evil things, in robes of sorrow,

   Assailed the monarch’s high estate;

(Ah, let us mourn!—for never morrow

   Shall dawn upon him, desolate!)

And round about his home the glory

   That blushed and bloomed

Is but a dim-remembered story

   Of the old time entombed.

And travellers, now, within that valley,

   Through the red-litten windows see

Vast forms that move fantastically

   To a discordant melody;

While, like a ghastly rapid river,

   Through the pale door

A hideous throng rush out forever,

   And laugh—but smile no more. 

     "The Haunted Palace" is a 48-line poem was first released in the April 1839 issue of Nathan Brooks' American Museum magazine. It was eventually incorporated into "The Fall of the House of Usher" as a song written by Roderick Usher. Read more...

Pumpkin and Jack-O-Lantern Number Books

Crafting and gifting little number books for Fall related themes is not all that uncommon in day care programs or
early learning centers. So, I have decided to submit here a few simple ideas of my own. You can use the
same patterns for either version of this craft. One version is a spooky Jack-O-Lantern and the other is a decorative
 pumpkin. Both crafts include pumpkin seeds as the elements that young students are to count on each
 individual page.

As you can see, students may count the seeds and also associate the written number with the quantity of those
seeds on every page. Don't forget to include zero at the very beginning. Each of my number books
includes 11 pages. Above, you can see the decorative pumpkin cover using painted papers.

Here is my Jack-O-Lantern version of the same project. I have also included a little "illuminated candle on
every page as well!

Above is my page of patterns for both versions of this little Fall number book.
Below is an additional page of burning candles that I have drawn for those of
you who would prefer to turn your fall number book into a Jack-O-Lantern.

Scrumdiddlyumptious Apple and Quince Treats and Recipes!

      It has been said that apples may be prepared in more than 200 different ways; and following the slogan "Eat an apple a day and keep the doctor away," it should prove easy and interesting to serve them at least once daily in late September menus.

      Quinces and crabapples, while not so popular as the apples, may also form the basis of many delicious dishes, and in the way of preserves, a savory catsup, jellies and marmalade they are two of our best fall fruits. 

      In making quince jelly be sure that not a single seed is cooked with the fruit, as these have a mucilaginous property which will prevent jelling, giving instead a ropy, thick syrup.

      Baked and as sauce are the most popular ways of serving apples, and yet these may be varied so that a different style is possible for every day in the week. When cooking apple sauce if it be strained do not core or pare the fruit--merely cut into pieces and add the water. This saves time, gives a larger quantity of sauce and more flavor and color.

      If apples are to be cooked in quarters, first cook the skins and cores in cold water, with a few slices of orange or lemon, stick cinnamon and a dusting of nutmeg. Then strain, and in this juice cook the apples. It will give a better flavor to the fruit and a richer syrup. Apples cooked in this way are practically preserved and are delicious served as a compote. Raisins, dates, figs or preserved ginger may be added to suit the individual taste.

      This same method of cooking is recommended for stewing crabapples and quinces; these are excellent as compotes.

      Never attempt to cook a dry sweet apple, as no matter what the recipe the result will be a flavorless dish. Select rather tart, juicy cooking apples and always add as little water as possible, so as not to dilute the true flavor. Virginia Carter Lee, New York Tribune, September 24, 1922.

New England Baked Apples

      For the New England baked apples butter a quart baking dish, fill with peeled, quartered apples, dust lightly with ground cinnamon and a bit of grated lemon peel. Add one cupful of maple syrup, cover and bake in a slow oven until tender. Serve with cream.

Escalloped Quinces

      To prepare baked escalloped quinces, pare, core and cut the fruit in halves. Place with the hollow side up in a pan, fill the cavities with sugar, add a few slices of orange and pour in enough quince liquor (made by boiling the skins) to half cover the fruit. Covert he dish or pan and bake for several hours in a slow oven. Then uncover, dust thickly with crushed, dried bread crumbs mixed with melted butter and brown over in a quick oven. Serve with a hard sauce flavored with vanilla.

Apple Toast and Bacon

       Apple toast with bacon is a very good breakfast dish. For an individual service stew a peeled and quartered apple in one tablespoon of butter, two of water and one of sugar. When tender arrange on a round of fried bread and lay over the top, two slices of crisp broiled bacon.

More Apple Ideas

      In preparing either the apple muffins or cornbread merely add chopped, peeled apples to your usual batter and slightly increase the amount of sugar and baking powder.

      The variety of apple salads is almost endless, and this fruit combines admirably with either chopped celery or shredded cabbage. Used with the latter it gives a particularly healthful salad and one especially adapted to serve the children's health and happiness. A few chopped walnuts are a great addition and either a boiled or mayonnaise dressing is recommended. 

      For the carbapple pie slice the flesh from the cores of the apples but do not peel them. Fill into a deep pie plate lined with pastry and cover with bits of butter, one and a half cupfuls of sugar and a slight dusting of nutmeg. Cover the top with strips of pastry, arranging crisscross fashion and bake in a moderate oven.

Glace Crabapple

      The glace crabapples are prepared from an old-fashioned recipe and are especially good; they may be stored as canned fruit or will keep for some time in stone crocks. Select a firm, red variety and for a peck of the fruit allow five pounds of sugar. Put the fruit and sugar in layers into a stone crock or deep casserole and add two broken sticks of cinnamon and a tablespoonful of cassia buds. Cover the jars with a buttered paper and bake in a slow oven for two and a half hours. This dish is very good prepared in a fireless cooker. (Crock Pot, set on low it would take longer than two hours to cook!)

Apples and Sweet Potatoes

      A very excellent dish is the escallop of apples and sweet potatoes. Peel and cut boiled sweet potatoes into quarter-inch slices. Butter a baking dish, put in a layer of the potatoes, sprinkle with grated nutmeg and dot with bits of butter. Cover with a layer of thinly sliced apples and dust with ground cinnamon. Continue with alternate layers of apples and potatoes and sprinkle the apples lightly with brown sugar. When the ingredients are used have the top layer of potatoes and cover with buttered crumbs. Bake for one hour in a moderate oven.

Apple Frosting

      A delicious filling for a layer cake can be made from apples. Boil one cupful of sugar with one-third of a cupful of water (without stirring) until it threads and pour on the stiffly whipped white of one egg. Continue to beat until thick and fold in one grated tart apple and a half teaspoonful of orange extract. Spread the filling between the cake layers and sprinkle with minced candied orange peel. A cake filled with frosting should be eaten the same day or it becomes soggy.

Apple Betty With Cheese

      Mix four tablespoonfuls of melted oleo with two cupfuls of soft bread crumbs. Some people prefer the browness and added flavor of crumbs sauted in butter. Pare, core and slice four apples. Mix together one-third of a cuptul of brown sugar, half a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon, a quarter of a teaspoonful each of the ground cloves and nutmeg and a quarter of a teaspoonful of salt.

      Arrange the alternate layers of crumbs and apples in a buttered baking dish, sprinkling the fruit with the seasonal sugar. Continue the layers until the dish is filled and pour over a syrup made from two tablespoonfuls of hot water, the juice of half a lemon and a tablespoonful of sugar.

      Cover the top with the crumbs mixed with three tablespoonfuls of grated cheese and bake slowly for forty minutes. Cover the pudding at first, so that it will not brown too quickly.

You know when autumn has arrived when the crab apple trees are sagging under the weight of fruit. Carb apples are great for making jelly as they are full of pectin. In this video I therefore show you how to make crab apple jelly. More about wild foods at www.self-sufficientinsuburbia.blogspot.c

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Crabapple Catsup 

      Cook five pounds of crabapples with one pint of vinegar for eight minutes, or until the fruit is soft. Press through a fine sieve, turn into a preserving kettle and add two and a half pounds of brown sugar, three tablespoonfuls of ground cinnamon and half a tablespoonful each of salt, paprika and ground cloves. Simmer until thick and store in sterilized, self-sealing bottles, as for tomato catsup.   

Crabapple Ice Cream 

      Have ready one pint of sifted, well sweetened apple sauce that has been flavored while cooking with ground cinnamon, grated nutmeg and lemon juice to taste. Have the sauce quite thick and while hot stir in two tablespoonfuls of melted butter. Cool, chill on the ice and fold in the stiffly whipped white of one egg and one pint of double cream that has been whipped solid and sweetened with two tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar. Freeze slowly, using three parts of ice to one of rock salt.

Quince Marmalade

      Cook the skins of the pared quinces in water to well done. For every quart, cover and add also yellow rind of one large lemon. Cook for forty minutes, then strain and in this liquid cook the cored fruit that has been cut into small pieces. When the fruit is tender press through a fine sieve and allow three-quarters of a cupful of sugar for each cup of the pulp. Let the quince cook for twenty minutes, add the hot water and for a pint of the combined fruit and sugar add the juice of half a lemon and half a cupful of blanched chopped almonds. Cook down quite thick and store as for jelly. (Do not use any of the quince seeds.)

Marlboro Pie

      Wipe and cut in quarters three large juicy apples. Steam until tender, rub through a fine sieve and add one-third of a cupful of butter. Add one-third of a cupful of sugar, three lightly beaten eggs, the rind of half an orange, grated, a few grains of salt, four tablespoonfuls of thick cream and a tablespoonful and a half each of grape juice and lemon juice. Have ready a deep pie plate lined with pastry, put on an ornamental rim, turn in the mixture and bake in a moderate oven until firm. Cover the top with sweetened whipped cream arranged in a lattice fashion and garnished cubes of crabapple jelly.

Spiced Apple Jelly

      Cut half a peck of juicy cooking apples in three pints of vinegar and one pint of water until soft, adding an ounce of broken stick cinnamon, two slices of lemon, half an ounce of whole cloves and half a teaspoonful of grated nutmeg. When soft drain through a jelly bag, boil the juice for twenty minutes and add three quarters of a cup of sugar for each cupful of the juice. Simmer until it jells, skim well and store as for ordinary jelly. This is delicious served with chicken, duck, roast pork and either cold or hot ham.

Apple Foam

      Have all the ingredients thoroughly chilled. Turn into a large bowl, two-thirds of cupful of sweetened, strained apple sauce (flavored with lemon and nutmeg) and add two tablespoonfuls of finely minced preserved ginger, two stiffly whipped egg whites blended with two tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar and half a cupful of thick cream, beaten solid. Turn into parfait glasses lined with strips of sponge cake and top each portion with a maraschino cherry.

Spiced Crabapples

      If the crabapples are hard they should be steamed before being added to the syrup. With the softened fruit press two cloves into each crabapple after removing the blossom ends. Prepare syrup from cooking together three and half pounds of brown sugar , three cupfuls of vinegar, about one and half cupfuls of water, one dozen cassia buds and three ounces of broken cinnamon sticks. When this has cooked seven minutes put in the crabapples, a few at a time, and cook until tender, but not broken. Skim out into sterilized jars, simmer down the syrup until quite thick and fill the jars to overflow. Seal as for canned fruit. Divide the spices among the jars.

More Apple Treats:

• Gram Burde's Fresh Apple Glazed Cookie Recipe
• Apple Dumplings
• Old-fashioned Apple Sauce Cake
• Apple Fritter Doughnuts
• Apple Muffins
• Aplets and Cotlets Candy

More Desserts Made With Quince:

• Quince Basics from Martha Stewart
• Quince Almond Cake
  

Corpse Bride

      "Corpse Bride", often referred as "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride", is a 2005 stop-motion-animated horror musical film directed by Tim Burton and Mike Johnson. The plot is set in a fictional Victorian era village in Europe. Johnny Depp led an all-star cast as the voice of Victor, while Helena Bonham Carter voiced Emily, the title character. Corpse Bride is the third stop-motion feature film produced by Burton and the first directed by him (the previous two films, The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach, were directed by Henry Selick). This is also the first stop-motion feature from Burton that isn't distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.

      The film was nominated in the 78th Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature, but was beaten by Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, which also starred Helena Bonham Carter. It was shot with a battery of Canon EOS-1D Mark II digital SLRs, rather than the 35mm film cameras used for Burton's previous stop-motion film The Nightmare Before Christmas.

      In an unnamed Victorian Era European village, Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp), the son of nouveau riche fish merchants, and Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson), the neglected daughter of hateful aristocrats, are getting prepared for their arranged marriage, which will raise the social class of Victor's parents and restore the wealth of Victoria's penniless family. Both have concerns about marrying someone they do not know, but they fall instantly in love when they first meet. After the shy, clumsy Victor ruins the wedding rehearsal and is scolded by Pastor Galswells (Christopher Lee), he flees and practices his wedding vows in the nearby forest, placing the wedding ring on a nearby upturned tree root.

Theatrical Release Poster.

      The root turns out to be the finger of a dead girl clad in a tattered bridal gown, who rises from the grave claiming that she is now Victor's wife. Spirited away to the surprisingly festive Land of the Dead, the bewildered Victor learns the story of Emily (Helena Bonham Carter), his new "bride," murdered years ago on the night of her secret elopement. Emily, as a wedding gift, reunites Victor with his long-dead dog, Scraps. Meanwhile, Victoria's parents hear that Victor has been seen in another woman's arms, and become suspicious.

      Wanting to reunite with Victoria, Victor tricks Emily into taking him back to the Land of the Living by pretending he wants her to meet his parents. She agrees to this and takes him to see Elder Gutknecht (Michael Gough), the kindly ruler of the underworld, to send him and Emily temporarily to the Land of the Living. Once back home, Victor asks Emily to wait in the forest while he rushes off to see Victoria and confess his wish to marry her as soon as possible, to which she gladly returns his feelings. Emily soon arrives and sees the two of them together and, feeling betrayed and hurt, drags Victor back to the Land of the Dead. Victoria tells her parents that Victor has been forcibly wed to a dead woman, but they believe she has lost her mind and lock her up in her bedroom. She escapes her room by window and rushes to Galswells to find a way helping Victor, but fails. With Victor gone, Victoria's parents decide to marry her off to a presumably wealthy newcomer in town named Lord Barkis Bittern (Richard E. Grant), who appeared at the wedding rehearsal, against her will.

      Emily is heartbroken by Victor's deception. Victor, however, apologizes for lying to her, and the two reconcile while playing the piano together. Shortly after, Victor's family coachman appears in the afterlife (having recently died) and informs Victor of Victoria's impending marriage to Lord Barkis. At the same time, Emily learns from Elder Gutknecht that because marriage vows are only binding until "death do you part" and death already parts them, her supposed marriage to Victor was never valid. In order for their marriage to become valid, Victor must repeat his vows in the Land of the Living and willingly drink poison - thus joining her in death. Overhearing this, and fretting about having lost his chance with Victoria, Victor agrees to die for Emily. All of the dead go "upstairs" to the Land of the Living to perform the wedding ceremony for Victor and Emily. Upon their arrival, the town erupts into a temporary panic until every living person recognizes each others' loved ones from the dead and they have a joyous reunion under the bizarre circumstances.

     After a quarrel with Lord Barkis - and realizing he was only after her supposed money - Victoria follows the procession of dead to the church. As Victor prepares to drink the cup of poison to kill himself, Emily notices Victoria and has second thoughts, realizing that she is denying Victoria her chance at happiness the same way it was stolen from her. Lord Barkis interrupts them, and Emily recognizes him as her former fiance - who is revealed to be the one who murdered her for her dowry. Lord Barkis tries to kidnap Victoria at sword point, but Victor stops him and the two men duel. Emily intercedes to save Victor, and Lord Barkis mockingly proposes a toast to Emily claiming she's "always the bridesmaid, never the bride!", and accidentally drinking the cup of poison. The dead (now able to intercede as he's dead) drag the "new arrival" away for punishment.

      Emily sets Victor free of his vow to marry her, giving the wedding ring back to Victor and her wedding bouquet to Victoria before exiting the church. As she steps into the moonlight, she transforms into hundreds of butterflies, presumably finding peace, as Victor and Victoria look on.

^{More Related Content:}

• Official website
• Interview Helena Bonham Carter
• Johnny Depp in Corpse Bride Interview
• Tim Burton Interview for Corpse Bride

The Story of "Stingy Jack"

      Stingy Jack, perhaps also known as Jack the Smith, Drunk Jack, and Jack of the Lantern, is a mythical character apparently associated with All Hallows Eve. It is common lore that the "jack-o'-lantern" is derived from the character.

      As the story goes, several centuries ago amongst the myriad of towns and villages in Ireland, there lived a drunkard known as "Stingy Jack". Jack was known throughout the land as a deceiver, manipulator and otherwise dreg of society. On a fateful night, the devil overheard the tale of Jack's evil deeds and silver tongue. Unconvinced (and envious) of the rumors, the devil went to find out for himself whether or not Jack lived up to his vile reputation.

      Typical of Jack, he was drunk and wandering through the countryside at night when he came upon a body on his cobblestone path. The body with an eerie grimace on its face turned out to be the Devil. Jack realized somberly this was his end; the devil had finally come to collect his malevolent soul. Jack made a last request: he asked the devil to let him drink ale before he departed to hell. Finding no reason not to acquiesce the request, the devil took Jack to the local pub and supplied him with many alcoholic beverages. Upon quenching his thirst, Jack asked the devil to pay the tab on the ale, to the devil's surprise. Jack convinced the devil to metamorphose into a silver coin with which to pay the bartender (impressed upon by Jack's unyielding nefarious tactics). Shrewdly, Jack stuck the now transmogrified devil (coin) into his pocket, which also contained a crucifix. The crucifix's presence prevented the devil from escaping his form. This coerced the devil to agree to Jack's demand: in exchange for the devil's freedom, the devil had to spare Jack's soul for 10 years.

New York Tribune, 1915.

      Ten years later to the date when Jack originally struck his deal, he found himself once again in the devil's presence. Same as the setting before, Jack happened upon the devil and seemingly accepted it was his time to go to hell for good. As the devil prepared to take him to the underworld, Jack asked if he could have one apple to feed his starving belly. Foolishly the devil once again agreed to this request. As the devil climbed up the branches of a nearby apple tree, Jack surrounded its base with crucifixes. The devil, frustrated at the fact that he been entrapped again, demanded his release. As Jack did before, he made a demand: that his soul never be taken by the devil into hell. The devil agreed and was set free.
       Eventually the drinking and unstable lifestyle took its toll on Jack; he died the way he lived. As Jack's soul prepared to enter heaven through the gates of St. Peter he was stopped. Jack was told that because of his sinful lifestyle of deceitfulness and drinking, he was not allowed into heaven. The dreary Jack went before the Gates of Hell and begged for commission into underworld. The devil, fulfilling his obligation to Jack, could not take his soul. To warn others, he gave Jack an ember, marking him a denizen of the netherworld. From that day on until eternity's end, Jack is doomed to roam the world between the planes of good and evil, with only an ember inside a hollowed turnip ("turnip" actually referring to a large swede) to light his way.

More Related Content:

• History of Stingy Jack

"The Ghost and Mr. Chicken"

      "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" is a 1966 American comedy-drama film starring Don Knotts as Luther Heggs, a newspaper typesetter who spends a night in a haunted house, which is located in the fictitious community of Rachel, Kansas. The working title was Running Scared.

Theatrical Release Poster

      Luther Heggs is a typesetter at the newspaper in Rachel, Kansas, but aspires to be a reporter. One night, observing what he believes to be a murder outside of an old, supposedly haunted house, Heggs rushes to the police station with his scoop. Unfortunately, as he relates the details of his story to the Chief of Police, the murder "victim" walks into the room. The next morning, Heggs walks downstairs to the dining room at the Natalie Miller boarding house and overhears Ollie Weaver (Homeier), a full-time reporter at the newspaper, mocking his mistakes of the night before. According to a legend noted in the film, the Simmons mansion was a "murder house" 20 years earlier, when Mr. Simmons murdered his wife, then jumped from the organ loft to his death. Legend says that you can hear the ghost of Mr. Simmons playing the organ at night.

      To increase newspaper sales, Luther is assigned to spend the night in the house on the 20th anniversary of the murders. At midnight, Heggs sees the old organ begin to play by itself, as well as other ghostly happenings. His story gets the town abuzz and Nicholas Simmons (Philip Ober), nephew of the deceased couple, sues Heggs for libel.

      In the courtroom, Heggs is made out to be a fool, but the judge orders the courtroom to the Simmons house at midnight to allow Heggs to prove his story. Nothing happens, and everyone leaves except for Heggs. Soon after, when he notices the old organ playing again, Heggs discovers Mr. Kelsey, the newspaper's janitor, producing the creepy tune from an additional keyboard located under the pipes. The typesetter and janitor then confront Nicholas Simmons, who killed his aunt and uncle and has been trying to cover up the story all this time. A secret passage from the study up to the organ loft had been Simmons' alibi, and Mr. Kelsey was the last one who knew the secret. Luther knocks Simmons out with a body slam, and the case is closed. At the end of the film, Heggs marries his sweetheart, Alma Parker (Joan Staley) and the church organ begins to play the same spooky tune that came from the Simmons house, with the keys moving, but no one there.

^{More Related Content:} 

• The Ghost and Mr. Chicken at the Internet Movie Database
• The Ghost and Mr. Chicken at AllRovi
• DVD review and production history
• The Ghost and Mr. Chicken at kiddiematinee.com

"The Raven," by Edgar Allen Poe

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. 

"'T is some visiter," 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
"'T is some visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door
Some late visiter 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 mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness 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;—  
'T is 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 blessed 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 sad soul 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 foot-falls 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 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!

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