Poes The Raven With Explanations for ESL Learners

The Raven  by Edgar Allan Poe is a classic American poem. Its  quite popular to read this poem around Halloween, but its a glorious one  to read aloud at any time of year, with a compelling rhythm and fantastic story that will send shivers up your spine. This version of The Raven defines the more challenging words after each section of the poem. The  poem can be read on many levels; on your first reading you may want to try to understand the literal meaning of the poem, rather than getting bogged down in symbolism or trying to define every individual word. For more on The Raven, you may want to check out these questions for discussion. Read on if you dare!   The Raven by Edgar Allan 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.Tis some visitor, I muttered, tapping at my chamber door -Only this and nothing more. pondered thoughtlore storyrapping knockingmuttered said 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 borrowFrom 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. bleak sad, black and coldember burning piece of wood glowing orangewrought presentedmorrow the next daymaiden woman, girl And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtainThrilled 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. rustling movement that makes noiseentreating asking for Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,Sir, I said, 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. implore ask forscarce hardly 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 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. peering looking intogave no token gave no sign Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,Soon again I heard a tapping something louder than before.Surely, said I, surely that is something at my window lattice;Let me see, then, what threat is, and this mystery explore -Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -Tis the wind and nothing more! window lattice frame around the window Open here I flung a 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 an 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. flung threw openflutter movement of wings, noisestately magnificentobeisance gesture of deference, respectmien manner ofperched how a bird sits 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 Nights Plutonian shore!Quoth the Raven, Nevermore! beguiling charmingcountenance bearing, mannercrest headthou old English for youart arecraven cowardly, mean-spiritedthy old English for your 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 beingEver yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door -Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,With such a name as Nevermore. marvelled was surprisedungainly uglyfowl birddiscourse speechbore contained, had But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke onlyThat one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.Nothing farther 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. placid peacefuluttered said Startled at the stilless 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 DisasterFollowed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden boreOf Never -nevermore. aptly wellstock and store repeated phrasedirges sad songs 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 linkingFancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yoreMeant in croaking Nevermore. betook moved myselffancy here used as noun meaning imagined story, thoughtyore from the pastcroaking the sound a frog makes, usually a very ugly sound coming from the throat This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressingTo the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosoms core;This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease recliningOn the cushions velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated oer,But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating oerShe shall press, ah, nevermore! bosom chest, heartdivinig guessing Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censerSwung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.Wretch, I cried thy God hath lent thee -by these angels he hath sent theeRespite -respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!Quoth the Raven, Nevermore. methought old English for I thoughtcenser a container for burning incensewretch horrible personhath old English for hasthee old English for yourespite rest fromnepenthe a drug providing a way of forgetting somethingquaff drink quickly or recklesslyQuoth quoted 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. Tempter Satantempest stormbalm liquid that eases painGilead biblical reference Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend! I shrieked, upstarting -Get thee back into the tempest and the Nights 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. parting separation, leavingfiend monstershrieked shouted, screamedplume type of featherquit leave And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sittingOn the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;And his eyes have all the seeming of a demons that is dreaming,And the lamp-light oer him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;And my soul from out that shadow that is floating on the floorShall be lifted -nevermore. flitting movingpallid pale