AndbystrangealchemyofbrainHispleasuresalwaysturnedtopain
Hisnaivet?towilddesire
Hiswittolove-hiswinetofire
Andso,beingyounganddiptinfolly,Ifellinlovewithmelancholy,AndusedtothrowmyearthlyrestAndquietallawayinjest
IcouldnotloveexceptwhereDeathWasminglinghiswithBeauty’sbreath
OrHymen,Time,andDestiny,Werestalkingbetweenherandme。
Butnowmysoulhathtoomuchroom
Gonearethegloryandthegloom
Theblackhathmellow’dintogray,Andallthefiresarefadingaway。
Mydraughtofpassionhathbeendeep
Irevell’d,andInowwouldsleepAndafterdrunkennessofsoulSucceedsthegloriesofthebowlAnidlelongingnightanddayTodreammyverylifeaway。
ButdreamsofthosewhodreamasI,Aspiringly,aredamned,anddie:
YetshouldIswearImeanalone,Bynotessoveryshrillyblown,TobreakuponTime’smonotone,WhileyetmyvapidjoyandgriefAretintlessoftheyellowleaf
Whynotanimpthegraybeardhath,Willshakehisshadowinmypath
Ande’enthegraybeardwillo’erlookConnivinglymydreaming-book。
AloneFromchildhood’shourIhavenotbeenAsotherswere-IhavenotseenAsotherssaw-IcouldnotbringMypassionsfromacommonspring-
FromthesamesourceIhavenottakenMysorrow-IcouldnotawakenMyhearttojoyatthesametone-
AndallIlov’d-_I_lov’dalone-
_Then_-inmychildhood-inthedawnOfamoststormylife-wasdrawnFromev’rydepthofgoodandillThemysterywhichbindsmestill-
Fromthetorrent,orthefountain-
Fromtheredcliffofthemountain-
Fromthesunthat’roundmeroll’dInitsautumntintofgold-
FromthelightningintheskyAsitpass’dmeflyingby-
Fromthethunder,andthestorm-
AndthecloudthattooktheformWhentherestofHeavenwasblue
Ofademoninmyview-
~~~EndofText~~~
{Thispoemisnolongerconsidereddoubtfulasitwasin1903。Libertyhasbeentakentoreplacethebookversionwithanearlier,perhapsmoreoriginalmanuscriptversionEd}
BENEATHthevine-cladeaves,WhoseshadowsfallbeforeThylowlycottagedoorUnderthelilac’stremulousleaves
Withinthysnowyclaspe鑔handThepurpleflowersitbore……
Lasteveindreams,Isawtheestand,LikequeenlynymphsfromFairy-land
Enchantressoftheflowerywand,MostbeauteousIsadore!
AndwhenIbadethedreamUponthyspiritflee,ThyvioleteyestomeUpturned,didoverflowingseemWiththedeep,untolddelightOfLove’sserenity;
Thyclassicbrow,likelilieswhiteAndpaleastheImperialNightUponherthrone,withstarsbedight,Enthralledmysoultothee!
AhIeverIbeholdThydreamy,passionateeyes,BlueasthelanguidskiesHungwiththesunset’sfringeofgold;
Nowstrangelyclearthineimagegrows,AndoldenmemoriesArestartledfromtheirlongreposeLikeshadowsonthesilentsnowsWhensuddenlythenight-windblowsWherequietmoonlightties。
Likemusicheardindreams,Likestrainsofharpsunknown,OfbirdsforeverflownAudibleasthevoiceofstreamsThatmurmurinsomeleafydell,Ihearthygentlesttone,AndSilencecomethwithherspellLikethatwhichonmytonguedothdwell,WhentremulousindreamsItellMylovetotheealone!
Ineveryvalleyheard,Floatingfromtreetotree,Lessbeautifulto,me,Themusicoftheradiantbird,ThanartlessaccentssuchasthineWhoseechoesneverflee!
Ah!howforthysweetvoiceIpine:
ForutteredinthytonesbenignEnchantress!thisrudenameofmineDothseemamelodyI
INtheserapid,restlessshadows,OnceIwalkedateventide,Whenagentle,silentmaiden,WalkedinbeautyatmysideShealonetherewalkedbesidemeAllinbeauty,likeabride。
PallidlythemoonwasshiningOnthedewymeadowsnigh;
Onthesilvery,silentrivers,OnthemountainsfarandhighOntheocean’sstar-litwaters,Wherethewindsa-wearydie。
Slowly,silentlywewanderedFromtheopencottagedoor,Underneaththeelm’slongbranchesTothepavementbendingo’er;
UnderneaththemossywillowAndthedyingsycamore。
WiththemyriadstarsinbeautyAllbedight,theheavenswereseen,Radianthopeswerebrightaroundme,Likethelightofstarsserene;
LikethemellowmidnightsplendorOftheNight’sirradiatequeen。
Audiblytheelm-leaveswhisperedPeaceful,pleasantmelodies,LikethedistantmurmuredmusicOfunquiet,lovelyseas:
WhilethewindswerehushedinslumberInthefragrantflowersandtrees。
WondrousandunwontedbeautyStilladorningalldidseem,WhileItoldmyloveinfables’Neaththewillowsbythestream;
WouldthehearthavekeptunspokenLovethatwasitsrarestdream!
InstantlyawaywewanderedIntheshadowytwilighttide,She,thesilent,scornfulmaiden,Walkingcalmlyatmyside,Withastepsereneandstately,Allinbeauty,allinpride。
VacantlyIwalkedbesideher。
Ontheearthmineeyeswerecast;
SwiftandkeentherecameuntomeRittermemoriesofthepastOnme,liketheraininAutumnOnthedeadleaves,coldandfast。
Underneaththeelmsweparted,Bythelowlycottagedoor;
OnebriefwordalonewasutteredNeveronourlipsbefore;
AndawayIwalkedforlornly,Broken-heartedevermore。
Slowly,silentlyIloitered,Homeward,inthenight,alone;
Suddenanguishboundmyspirit,Thatmyyouthhadneverknown;
Wildunrest,likethatwhichcomethWhentheNight’sfirstdreamhathflown。
Now,tometheelm-leaveswhisperMad,discordantmelodies,AndkeenmelodieslikeshadowsHauntthemoaningwillowtrees,AndthesycamoreswithlaughterMockmeinthenightlybreeze。
SadandpaletheAutumnmoonlightThroughthesighingfoliagestreams;
Andeachmorning,midnightshadow,Shadowofmysorrowseems;
Strive,0heart,forgetthineidol!
And,0soul,forgetthydreams!
’TissaidthatwhenThehandsofmenTamedthisprimevalwood,Andhoarytreeswithgroansofwoe,Likewarriorsbyanunknownfoe,Wereintheirstrengthsubdued,ThevirginEarthGaveinstantbirthTospringsthatne’erdidflowThatinthesunDidrivuletsrun,AndallaroundrareflowersdidblowThewildrosepalePerfumedthegaleAndthequeenlylilyadownthedaleWhomthesunandthedewAndthewindsdidwoo,Withthegourdandthegrapeluxuriantgrew。
SowhenintearsTheloveofyearsIswastedlikethesnow,AndthefinefibrilsofitslifeBytherudewrongofinstantstrifeArebrokenatablowWithintheheartDospringsupstartOfwhichitdothnowknow,Andstrange,sweetdreams,LikesilentstreamsThatfromnewfountainsoverflow,WiththeearliertideOfriversglideDeepintheheartwhosehopehasdied
Quenchingthefiresitsasheshide,
Itsashes,whencewillspringandgrowSweetflowers,erelong,Therareandradiantflowersofsong!
OfthemanyversesfromtimetotimeascribedtothepenofEdgarPoe,andnotincludedamonghisknownwritings,thelinesentitled“Alone“havethechiefclaimtoournotice。_Fac-simile_copiesofthispiecehadbeeninpossessionofthepresenteditorsometimeprevioustoitspublicationin“Scribner’sMagazine“forSeptember,1875;butasproofsoftheauthorshipclaimedforitwerenotforthcoming,herefrainedfrompublishingitasrequested。Thedesiredproofshavenotyetbeenadduced,andthereis,atpresent,nothingbutinternalevidencetoguideus。“Alone“isstatedtohavebeenwrittenbyPoeinthealbumofaBaltimoreladyMrs。
Balderstone?,onMarch17th,1829,andthefac-similegivenin“Scribner’s“sallegedtobeofhishandwriting。IfthecaligraphybePoe’s,itisdifferentinallessentialrespectsfromallthemanyspecimensknowntous,andstronglyresemblesthatofthewriteroftheheadinganddatingofthemanuscript,bothofwhichthecontributorofthepoemacknowledgestohavebeenrecentlyadded。Thelines,however,ifnotbyPoe,arethemostsuccessfulimitationofhisearlymannerismsyetmadepublic,and,intheopinionofonewellqualifiedtospeak,“arenotunworthyonthewholeoftheparentageclaimedforthem。”
WhileEdgarPoewaseditorofthe“Broadwayjournal。”somelines“ToIsadore“appearedtherein,and,likeseveralofhisknownpieces,borenosignature。TheywereatonceascribedtoPoe,andinordertosatisfyquestioners,aneditorialparagraphsubsequentlyappearedsayingtheywereby“A。Ide,junior。”Twopreviouspoemshadappearedinthe“Broadwayjournal“overthesignatureof“A。M。Ide。”andwhoeverwrotethemwasalsotheauthorofthelines“ToIsadore。”Inorder,doubtless,togiveashowofvariety,Poewasthenpublishingsomeofhisknownworksinhisjournalover_nomsdeplume,_andasnootherwritingswhatevercanbetracedtoanypersonbearingthenameof“A。M。Ide。”itisnotimpossiblethatthepoemsnowrepublishedinthiscollectionmaybebytheauthorof“TheRaven。”Havingbeenpublishedwithouthisusualelaboraterevision,Poemayhavewishedto_hide_hishastyworkunderanassumedname。Thethreepiecesareincludedinthepresentcollection,sothereadercanjudgeforhimselfwhatpretensionstheypossesstobebytheauthorof“TheRaven。”
EndofTheWorksofEdgarAllanPoeV。5
EndoftheWorksofEdgarAllanPoe[RavenEdition]