“Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words. “~Edgar Allan Poe

Poe’s The Raven is Brown Bear Daughter’s favorite poem. She had most of it memorized at one time when she was about thirteen years old. It’s one of my favorites, too; Poe had such an ability to manipulate and massage words into memorable messages.

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.”

You can go to this website, called Knowing Poe, to hear John Astin reciting Poe’s most famous poem, The Raven.

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!