Comic Geekspeak Presents

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 someone gently rapping, wrapping 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 book's surcease of sorrow.

Sorrow for the lost Lenore, for the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.

Nameless here, forevermore.

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 in treating entrance at my chamber door, some some visitor in treating entrance at my chamber door,

"'some late visitor in treating 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

were 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 mortals 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.'

"'Back into the chamber turning,

"'all my soul within me burning.

...