Mood: Restless.

Music: Kashmir – Bond

Yes, I’ve been terrible! Mondays and tuesdays aren’t good for me, as I’m horribly busy. I hope you lot weren’t too disappointed.

Oh, and yes, it’s past 2:30 in the morning. Why am I up? I keep odd hours. 

I didn’t forget completely about you guys, though. I’ve been trying to decide what to write my next review on – the problem is, I haven’t really read anything too recently, and haven’t found time to settle down and watch my Hitchcock movies. When in doubt, though, turn to what one knows best – or a line one can’t get from one’s head. Have you ever read Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Raven‘? I hadn’t till tonight, though I’d heard the quote “Quoth the raven, ‘Nevermore.'” more times then I’d like to count.

So, in honor of finally understanding this bloody poem, I read it. To give you a taste of it, here’s the paragraph where Poe introduces the raven:

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.

Read it slowly. It’s not something you can skim, or at least, not something I can.

The poem describes an interaction between an unnamed man (assumably, Poe) in mourning, talking to a raven that’s flown into his room. The raven will speak only one word – “nevermore” – and no other. Eventually, the man attempts to banish it, after he asks if he will ever hold his Lenore (a girl I’m assuming died) again, in a place called Aidenn (Heaven, I think), and the raven replies his single word, but the raven will not move, and the man gives up.

Maybe it’s the flow of the words, the time on my clock, or the music, but I loved this poem. Granted, it’s a bit dark, but it inspires an image, and not all writing can do that. Besides, it made me want to find a raven and whisper ‘nevermore’ to it, just to see what it would do. In my lovely mental scene, it would turn beady eyes to me, and nod it’s head… then, for some reason, it puts on a party hat and dances – but I think that’s sleepiness talking. Also, don’t ask me what it looks like while it’s dancing, it’s difficult to describe… kind of like a cross between a collection of black straws fitted together and someone throwing feathers in the air.

I’m rather sleepy now, and I’ve started to make up a song with the word ‘nevermore’, so I think I’m going to go to bed. I hope you enjoyed the review, loves. I’ll give you a better one tomorrow, promise.

‘Nevermore’ cried he, the light of the moon in his eye,
‘Nevermore we sleep,’ said he, ‘for insanity creeps too close to thee’
To that I shook my head and pointed to the raven’s clock, for the hour was indeed late,
‘Nevermore’ he begged, wild with sleeplessness, with no ear for my soothing words,
So I hit him over the head with a handy stick, and dragged him to his bed,
Evermore we slept peacefully.*

– S.

*For those who didn’t catch it, I wrote this bit. It’s not from Poe’s poem.