THE RAVEN BY EDGAR ALLAN POE

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 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 name 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 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,
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 blest 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 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 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."

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 lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"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, 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 name Lenore-
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Be that word our sign in 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 lamplight 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!


Uno de los grandes trabajos de Edgar Allan Poe en su natalicio 19 de enero a quién admiro y respeto.

With all my respect to Edgar Allan Poe..

RESEÑA LITERARIA DE MI ÍNTIMA MULTITUD LIBRO DE GIOCONDA BELLI

MI ÍNTIMA MULTITUD UN POEMARIO FUERA DE SERIE

POR: ROBERT ALLEN GOODRICH V.*

 Gioconda Belli es por todos conocida como una de las más grandes poetisas de Nicaragua, Centroamérica y el mundo por su calidad poética y su estilo muy feminista donde le añade ese toque de fuerza, erotismo y amor por la patria.

Mi íntima multitud el poemario que acabo de terminar recientemente de leer no es la excepción de la regla es un libro extraordinario compuesto por poemas que de principio a fin atrapar al lector y logra una identificación con los mismos sin importar si es hombre o mujer quién en sus manos lo tiene.

Es un poemario íntimo lleno de poemas que denotan un amor claro por la patria, un erotismo clásico en los poemas de la autora, un amor familiar maravilloso ya que varios poemas están dedicados a sus hijos y a su compañero de vida, poemas patrióticos dedicados a su querida Nicaragua, poemas propios de sus experiencias lejos de su patria, poemas como idealista en fin es un poemario íntimo y bien confeccionado.

Este poemario recibió el Premio de Poesía Generación del 27 en el 2002 un importante logro para su extensa carrera como poeta, novelista, narradora y crítica.

A titulo personal soy un admirador más de su poesía que de sus obras narrativas pero en ambas facetas la autora se destaca sin duda alguna pero la poesía forma parte de su esencia, de su piel, de su sangre.

A continuación destaco algunos fragmentos de los poemas que componen el libro en cuestión titulado: Mi íntima multitud.

LA ESCRITORA DE CARA AL MILENIO

Arrastrando largas túnicas

sucias con el polvo de las cosas pasadas,

mil años se alejan.

Mil años más -blanco rebaño de ovejas impredecibles-

vienen balando sus interrogantes.

Preguntan si intuyo los signos

que alumbrarán su existencia;

MANUAL PARA CONDUCIR

Para surcar mi cuerpo

sobre iluminadas autopistas,

despójate de medidas de seguridad

y avanza

cuan largo eres

sobre mí.

En la piel de este territorio

no hay más límite de velocidad

que la destreza de aferrar el volante

sobre las curvas más densas del camino.

CREACIÓN

La soledad del escritor

La fragua lenta, íngrima, de la palabra

-el peligro y sus chispas-

CONTRA TODA ESPERANZA

En estos días

en que el mundo temiendo la entropía

se dobla sobre sí mismo,

es cada vez más ardua la tarea

de pregonar anuncios optimistas.

Como podemos ver u observar el algunos fragmentos escogidos del libro la autora toca diversos temas algunos fuertes sobre los tiempos actuales y lo que nos depara el destino mismo que nosotros escribimos pero es la función de un poeta destacar con nuestras plumas lo que vemos y sentimos y ella: Gioconda Belli lo logra con maestría.

Simplemente un poemario recomendable para todos los que amamos a la poesía y el estilo de una de las más grandes poetas Gioconda Belli una escritora que ha sabido escribir con letras doradas su nombre en el ámbito literario de Centroamérica y el mundo.

FUENTE: MI ÍNTIMA MULTITUD-GIOCONDA BELLI, VISOR LIBROS COLECCIÓN VISOR DE POESÍA PRIMERA EDICIÓN 2007, 107 PÁGINAS.

*

Robert Allen Goodrich V. (Panamá, 1980): Escritor y poeta panameño-estadounidense mantiene vigente su blog personal www.robert-mimundo.blogspot.com mismo con el cual comenzó a dar ya hace un tiempo atrás sus primeros pasos literarios.

Ganador de múltiples reconocimientos dentro y fuera de su país y participante en más de 20 antologías a nivel mundial.

Sus libros están publicados en www.lulu.com con sede en Estados Unidos todos publicados de manera independiente.

Nombrado Embajador Universal de la Paz en Panamá por el Circulo Universal de Embajadores de la Paz con sede en Ginebra en el 2012, Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Unity in Panamá por SPMUDA International con sede en Filipinas 2013 donde también fue nombrado Director for Interfaith Commission a finales del 2013.

Fotos tomadas de Internet.