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The Raven - Nu Lang - 04-30-2011
The Raven
[First published in 1845]
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.'
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 named 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
`'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor 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; -
'Tis 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 above 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 lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light 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 has 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 named Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named 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 lamp-light 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!
The Raven - Nu Lang - 04-30-2011
Analysis
Poe wrote the poem as a narrative, without intentionally creating an allegory or falling into didacticism.[2] The main theme of the poem is one of undying devotion.[8] The narrator experiences a perverse conflict between desire to forget and desire to remember. He seems to get some pleasure from focusing on loss.[9] The narrator assumes that the word "Nevermore" is the raven's "only stock and store", and, yet, he continues to ask it questions, knowing what the answer will be. His questions, then, are purposely self-deprecating and further incite his feelings of loss.[10] Poe leaves it unclear if the raven actually knows what it is saying or if it really intends to cause a reaction in the poem's narrator.[11] The narrator begins as weak and weary, becomes regretful and grief-stricken, before passing into a frenzy and, finally, madness.[12]
The Raven - Nu Lang - 04-30-2011
The Raven could have been saying "Evermore", but in fact the man's focus on loss so great that he hears only "Nevermore".
The Poe museum in Richmond actually has adopted the phrase Evermore On T-shirts and bumper stickers etc, to advertise the museum and Poe.
The Raven - Guest - 04-30-2011
Hey, nice timing... I just finished painting this:
The Raven - Nu Lang - 04-30-2011
Nice En. It actually reminds me of my artwork style too, I like to do silhouettes with color background. It was a style popular a century ago called Chimasery (spelling?) and I learned it from an artist friend. There is a colorful backing and then the silhouettes floating in space on top usually on a tuft of foliage, when I saw it it intrigued me, evoked a supernatural feeling. I'll look for an example if I can find.
And actually I think the friend added the color part to the Chimasery style, that was her addition rather then the original way it was done, I'll have to look into it. Its a style that intrigues me very much.
The Raven - Guest - 04-30-2011
This is actually the first one Ive done like this. I like the effect though and may try some more a bit later. Hadn't heard of Chimasery, will have to look it up! Thx
The Raven - Guest - 04-30-2011
Enchantra wrote:Hadn't heard of Chimasery, will have to look it up! Thx
Can't find it anywhere....
The Raven - Nu Lang - 05-01-2011
This friend was actually the sister of old bf, and she attended and taught at the Chicago Institute of Art, so she knew about more obscure art movements that mainstream does not document, and she gave me that name for the art movement but I'm not sure how its spelled. The closest I found to it is here:
Since the late 18th century, silhouette artists have also made small
scenes cut from card and mounted on a contrasting background like the
portraits. These pictures, known as "paper cuts", were often, but not
necessarily, silhouette images.[13]
So 'Chimasery' as I understood it explained to me is taking silhouette art and making the objects float in space and then adding a background. Such as my artists friend did, she would have a picture of say two English women having tea, and there are chairs and a table and then a tuft of land the table and chairs are resting on but they are then floating in space and behind them she'd put tissue paper and it was real colorful, rainbow colors. She could have painted the background too, but at the time she was pasting on the tissue paper and then painting in black ink the foreground figures in silhouette. It really fascinated me to view this. Not at first when she showed me it, but later. She let me have on of her artworks as a gift, and let me choose which one, I choose an 18th century English guy holding an umbrella walking up an incline on a land patch with some trees and shrubs growing on it, it floated in space and behind was a striped tissue paper pattern, I don't know why I chose that one, but I still have it and its in storage in the states, wish I had a picture of it though. The closest thus far I can find that reminds me of it is this by artist Jan Pienkowski who is a modern artist:
This is not like my friend's becasue my friends had figures floating, so that made it more surreal. I'm pretty sure she moved on to other styles after experimenting with that one, but for me, that stayed with me and its what I want to explore doing. I felt she did not exhaust the possibilities with it, but I liked very much where she was headed with it, the floating and expansive space for me evokes infinity, which is what I like about it, the dreamlike quality. Again, wish I had a better example.
The Raven - Guest - 05-01-2011
Beauty-full!
The Raven - Nu Lang - 05-01-2011
What I'm realizing as I do my search is...no one is doing even similar to what she did, which is odd to me becasue its seems such an easy step to take, to first have the silhouette image and then give a color background, most of the examples I looked at show white or solid color background, which is more the traditional way. Here is one I found that is different.
This one sort of evokes her style because they chose a pattern background, there is form and shape in background rather then just solid blue flat. It depicts clouds, hers depicted patterns. So there are many possibilites for background.
This one uses text, which I've seen done before.
This does not evoke her style so much but its Poe so just throwing it in here for the hey of it.
Here's a cool silhouette, and I wish the artist had given her a color background.
One could use fabric patterns, tissue paper like my friend, photos, painting etc all in background. Anyway, bottom line here is I just need to start doing some of this artwork myself, lol. To satisfy my craving for it. There are some examples out there but none of them quite match what I'm looking for. Its a feeling.
The Raven - Guest - 05-01-2011
Kind of like the series I am working on right now, then? A water colour wash for a background and then a black figure or shape overlayed. It's a lot of fun to do. Wish I would've thought of it sooner!
The Raven - Nu Lang - 05-02-2011
Yes, very similar to what you are doing and its what I do too, but I really don't have any examples to show...yet...but hope to soon. Thanks for posting your picture here.
The Raven - Nu Lang - 05-03-2011
Hey En, I was digging through my art boxes last night, looking for my watercolor paper, and guess what I found tucked in one of them...the picture I was telling you about, from my artist friend. So I will take a picture of it once my husband brings the camera home from work.
The Raven - Guest - 05-03-2011
Cool. Can't wait to see it.
The Raven - Nu Lang - 05-03-2011
Its not that its really impressive, but its has always been what I considered a seed of potential for my own ideas. Its an unusual but neat concept. I'm starting on a piece right now, similar to her idea.
And I'm sort of intrigued by that time period (that she draws)...the time when Poe lived. That was actually a time of a lot of metaphysical activity. Like I learned from that Ancient Aliens show that Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were interested in alien theories, and Poe was one among many who explored metaphysical topics. When we moved to the Richmond area, I sort of got swallowed up by the feelings of the old buildings and history/energy there. Richmond as a city reminds me of a dreamscape, its so poorly planned out, the streets are not grid formation, so its easy to get lost in the city, roads suddenly dead end or turn into another name. So what we'd do is drive around looking at old houses and buildings and just go where the roads took us.There are some real old buildings there and I wish they'd preserve them rather then tear them down. It depends, and I do think they try to keep that city historical. So sometimes being there feels like traveling back in time. Of course other parts of the city are modern so it depends where you are at. It just one of those neat places to visit. One of my favorite memories is attending a midnight showing of a Poe trilogy with Vincent Price and Peter Lorre. The movie was corny as hell, as all poe reenactments are thus far, but it was fun, macabre and then walking home in the historical streets afterwards...it was in Oct., a breezy night but not cold.
Anyway, you'll see what I mean about 'time period', this artist drew silhouettes of people of the 17th-18th century.
The Raven - Guest - 05-03-2011
LOL! Where is it!?
I went to sleep and woke back up already! heehe
The Raven - Nu Lang - 05-04-2011
Yes, well, husband brought camera home last night, its morning now...so give me a chance to wake up... have my coffee and cigarette ok, don't smoke but love that smilicon. Then I will take picture.
The Raven - Nu Lang - 05-04-2011
ok, here it is
She took 4 tissue papers and pasted them...kinda off skew on the lower left one, and then painted the silhouette on top of tissue paper.
The Raven - Guest - 05-04-2011
Oh! I just love it. Now this reminds me of something I did in school. Somehow... I feel like I have experimented with this style.
Sheesh I just have the creating bug right now. Just finished two pieces and have two on my art table right now, and now I feel like doing soemthing a bit more like what you have shared!
Thanks for showing and sorry for my impatience!
The Raven - Nu Lang - 05-04-2011
Hey yeah, me too. I am really drawn to this style. And that you like it too makes me really want to get goign on it. Why? I don't know, there is energy in numbers I guess, resonating on a style makes the style seem more worthy of exploration. For years I wanted to do something along these lines, but my art work never really got to this, did portraits and watercolor but not silhouettes. They fascinate me...shadowlike...but I want to take them out of their traditional context, which is almost TOO straight forward, and use them to communicate a mystery feeling, as I think the shadows lend to that. And I think its the active background that adds that missing piece, that added compliment. I like how she had these land features just floating. She had many different kinds and many different combination of people doing different things, different props, all 18th century-esk.
The Raven - Guest - 08-21-2019