PROLOGUE
Enter Narrator, and takes sit
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. " 'Tis some visitor", I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door; only this, and nothing more".
A STRANGE VISITOR
I. Enter Noise (stays at the narrator's back)
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 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 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.
II. Enter Darkness (or Echo), dressed in black, with hood, face unseen
Deep into the 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, (Narrator says) "Lenore?". This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore! ...". Merely this, and nothing more.
III. (Echo stays inside; Noise goes to the window) At proper moment, Enter Bird
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, soon again I heard a tapping, somewhat louder than before. (Nervous) "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: (Indifferent & Arrogant) "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, (Vividly, yet Indifferent) "Nevermore". (Narrator jumps surprised, eyes wide open; Noise & Echo react with jumps, Noise Spontaneous, Echo Artificial) 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 upon the sculptured bust just above his chamber door, with such name as "Nevermore". (Narrator Suspicious, but turning back into indifference) But the raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only that one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. (Narrator Indifferent) Nothing further then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered; till I scarcely more than muttered: (Narrator Muttering low & slowly) "Other friends have flown before; on the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before." Then the bird said, (Vividly, yet Indifferent) "nevermore". (Narrator jumps again, so do Noise & Echo, same ways) (Narrator Quickly) Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, (Loud ~ Surprised & Frightened, Quickly, but not much) "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". (Noise & Echo move arround, and take places) But the raven still beguiling all my fancy 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". (Narrator Frightened & Suspicious, & Sleepy; Noise & Echo keep still) Thus 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 lamplight gloated over, (Narrator Dreamy) but whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating over she shall press, ah, nevermore!
IV Enter Seraphim Two
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer swung by seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor. (Bitter, Not-Angry) "Wretch", I cried, "thy God hath lent thee -- by these angels he hath sent thee respite -- respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore! Quaff, O quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!" Quoth the raven, (Low, yet High-Piched) "Nevermore!". (Narrator Angry, Quick, but not too much, & Deep) "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: (Honestly Questioning) is there -- is there balm in Gilead? -- tell me -- tell me I implore!". Quoth the raven, (Indifferent) "Nevermore". (Quickly, but not too much) "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 -- (Anxiously Curious) tell this soul with sorrow laden, if, within the distant Aidenn, it shall clasp a sainted maiden, whom the angels name Lenore -- (Dreamy) clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels name Lenore?". Quoth the raven, (Indifferent) "Nevermore". (Very Angry, Screaming) "Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting -- (Screaming louder) "Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore! (Hysterical) Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken! -- quit the bust above my door! (Bright Lightning) Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!" (Loud Thunder). (Brief Suspense) Quoth the raven, (Indifferent) "Nevermore".
EPILOGUE
Narrator takes sit again
(Narrator Still, but now Tormented, With a Crazy Look in the Eyes; Slowly) 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 lamplight over 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!
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com a Arcane Octane Magazine]
