The Raven - Edgar Allan Poe [excerpt from 'The Fall of the House of Usher' Ep. 8]

The Raven - 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 some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.”

.................(omitted)......................

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 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,
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 upon 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 farther 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 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.”

.................(omitted)......................

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 Fall of the House of Usher is an American gothic horror drama television miniseries created by Mike Flanagan and filmed in Vancouver. Loosely based on the short story of the same name and other works by Edgar Allan Poe, it premiered on Netflix on October 12, 2023 [wikipedia].

Official trailer:

[JamesTobiasStewart]

What I love about this scene, is that Verna outright says that Roderick could have been a poet instead of a CEO. That he had the talent to do it professionally and while he would have been poor, he'd have been happy.

So here it's not Roderick remembering Poe's poem, it's Roderick finally using the skill that could have saved his soul all those years ago; in memory of the only pure thing he'd had left in his life. Writing a poem for Lenore.

[rdc]

The entire show was phenomenal. A perfect homage to Edgar Allen Poe

[envoyofrot]

This scene always gives me goosebumps. The way that poem was executed in the show was just so good

[hannah]

I need a full version of him reciting the poem, accompanied by raven squawking & thunder in the background. This gives me chills! 🖤🥀🐦‍⬛

[w]

Lenore's death is the most impactful and important. While Roderick pretty much sold his childrens lives to Verna for money and wealth, most of his childeren were far from innocent- making their deaths less sympathetic. In Lenore's case it's different . She was the only Usher who was unconditionally a good person, it's also very telling that out of all of Roderick's children , his grand daughter has the distinction of being the one he dotes on the most and the one he's actually proud of - which is ironic given how amoral Roderick is. Lenore's death is the one that really hits Roderick the hardest and really sinks in how wrong selling his children's lives for an empire was. If he'd known how good Lenore would have turned out and how much he loved her, I doubt Roderick would have made the pact with Verna.

[katiejean]

Oh, this scene is just fraught with so much emotion and drama! I mean you've got the poetry (kudos to Bruce Greenwood & his voice/delivery because I could listen to him read poetry all damn day), the thunder/lightning and the ghost of Lenore and it's all chilling. Also, while Roderick is NOT a smypathic character, this is one of only 2 times I felt somewhat bad for him. Lenore is pretty much the only character (other than Annabel Lee) who he seems to really care about & her death literally brings him to his knees and moves him to memorialize her in poetry. I particually love how his voice breaks when he says Lenore's name. I will say I find it interesting how Roderick reverts to poetry for both Lenore and Anabel Lee. Using this form of spoken word that he loved (and could have made his career) to describe the two girls he loved most and lost is very impactful.

[iDeist]

And the only word there spoken. Was the whispered word, "Lenore".

[AlexH]

“And his eyes have all the seeming
Of a demon’s that is dreaming”

That line chills me more than any other excerpt from literature. It scares me.

[brih]

I loved the use of The Raven poem here. I think it’s being used to annunciate the dread and guilt that is now filling Roderick. Lenore was the last to die, his entire bloodline is dead. Lenore was good and kind and she only died because of the deal her grandfather made. And now with her gone, he knows him and Madeline are next. Such a chilling and exhilarating use of that poem😍

[gamepapa]

My sympathy is for Lenore, not Roderick. The old bag doomed a sweet kid to her death. He deserved to wallow in his grief and guilt.

[sciencefantastic]

This was a cool way to incorporate the poem

[berenboylu]

I cant imagine a better way to realize this poem of Poe, Mike Flanagan you are one of a kind...

[miragenite]

Honestly, the pay off of this scene is special.

The Raven was always probably my least favourite Simpsons halloween special.

After this moment in a completely different show, its become one of my favourites.

[haraldwucher]

Interesting detail: In this scene, Roderick uses the same weapon like Tamerlane in her final minutes (fire iron)

[Ambyli]

Amazing scene, gives me goosebumps every time!

[chbend]

wish theyd had the gut to do the whole poem

[Sam-mned]

It’s put me right off the fabric softener.