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 someone gently rapping – rapping at my chamber door.
The Raven, Edgar Allan Poe
*****
Today I’m working on a translation of a story in which a raven stands guard in a widow’s window, terrifying passers-by. As I search for the right words to interpret the story, the lines of Poe’s The Raven go round and round in my head.
Gustave Doré created the image in my header. It’s his interpretation of Poe’s lines.
This and more of Doré’s illustrations for The Raven are available here.
Everytime I read those lines I think of the actor Vincent Price because he was the one I first heard say them.
Thanks for referring me to Vincent Price, a recording which was easy to find – I’ve just listened to it. I learnt this poem in high school and remember laughing at the teacher’s reading and acting out ‘Quoth the raven – Nevermore’.
Oh dear, you didn’t laugh so they could see you did you? I can imagine them making you standup in front of the class and reciting the poem. Horrors!
Trish please accept and enjoy,, just for being a friend and my inspiration…
http://cobbies69.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/bbs-and-wendells-awards/
I’ve never thought of myself as inspirational, but clearly that’s what happens in the blogging world: I think it’s fantastic that bloggers inspire others.
Oooh I love The Raven, Trish, so dark and creepy you can almost hear the rapping. I’ve never seen that illustration before, but it fits perfectly with Poe’s tone.
I liked the illustration, too. After finding the Doré sketches, I began observing crows around my area – they are very similar to ravens (which we don’t have). My imagination easily fitted a black low-flying quarking crow into Doré’s image.
Purple curtains remind me of this poem too. ;o)
And don’t forget the cushion whose velvet violet lining She shall press, ah, nevermore !
I don’t see many of those. . . ;o)