Text: Edgar Allan Poe, “Lenore” (Comparative Text - Evening Mirror and Graham's Magazine)


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Texts Represented:

  • 1844-01 - Evening Mirror (November 28, 1844)
  • 1845-02 - Graham's Magazine (February 1845)

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Title: {{1845-02: LENORE. }}

Line-01-001: Ah, broken is the golden bowl {{1845-02: ! }} — the spirit flown forever!

Line-01-002: Let the bell toll! — a saintly soul floats on the Stygian river.

Line-01-003: And, Guy De Vere, hast thou no tear? {{1845-02:}} weep now or {{1844-01: nevermore — //1845-02: never more! }}

Line-01-004: See! on yon drear and rigid bier {{1845-02: , }} low lies thy love {{1845-02: , }} Lenore {{1844-01: . // 1845-02: ! }}

Line-01-005: {{1844-01: Come! //1845-02: Ah, }} let the burial rite be read {{1844-01: , //1845-02:}} the funeral song be sung {{1844-01: , }}

Line-01-006: An anthem for the queenliest dead that ever died so young {{1844-01: . //1845-02:}}

Line-02-007: {{1845-02: A dirge for her the doubly dead in that she died so young! }}

Line-01-007: “Wretches! ye loved her for her wealth {{1844-01: , }} and {{1844-01: ye }} hated her for her pride,

Line-01-008: {{1844-01: “  }} And {{1845-02: , }} when she fell in feeble health, ye blessed her — that she died.

Line-01-009: {{1844-01: “  }} How {{1844-01: shall //1845-02: shall }} the ritual then be read {{1845-02: ?; }} — the requiem how be sung

Line-01-010: {{1844-01: “  }} By you — by yours the evil eye {{1844-01: , //1845-02:}} by yours the slanderous tongue {{1845-02: , }}

Line-01-011: {{1844-01: “  }} That did to death the innocence that {{1844-01: perished //1845-02: died and died }} so {{1844-01: young //1845-02: youug [[young]] }} ?

Line-01-012: Peccavimus; yet rave not thus {{1844-01: , //1845-02: ! }} and let a Sabbath song

Line-01-013: Go up to God so solemnly the dead may feel no wrong {{1844-01: ; //1845-02: . }}

Line-01-014: {{1844-01: She — //1845-02: The }} sweet Lenore {{1844-01:}} hath “gone before,” with Hope that flew beside,

Line-01-015: Leaving thee wild for the dear child that should have been thy bride —

Line-01-016: For her the fair and {{1844-01: debonnair //1845-02: debonair }} that now so lowly lies,

Line-01-017: The life upon her yellow hair but not {{1844-01: upon // 1845-02: within }} her eyes —

Line-02-018: {{1845-02: The life still there, upon her hair — the death upon her eyes. }}

Line-01-018: “Avaunt! {{1844-01: — to-night //1845-02: to night [[to-night]] }} my heart is light {{1844-01://1845-02: ; }} no dirge will I upraise,

Line-01-019: {{1844-01: “  }} But waft the angel on her flight with a {{1844-01: Pæan //1845-02: pæan }} of old days!

Line-01-020: {{1844-01: “  }} Let no bell toll! — lest her sweet soul, amid its hallowed mirth,

Line-01-021: {{1844-01: “  }} Should catch the note as it doth float up from the {{1844-01: damned Earth //1845-02: damnéd earth }}.

Line-01-022: {{1844-01: “  }} To friends above, from fiends below, {{1844-01: th’ //1845-02: the }} indignant ghost is riven —

Line-01-023: {{1844-01: “  }} From Hell unto a high estate far up within the Heaven —

Line-01-024: {{1844-01: “  }} From {{1844-01: grief and moan //1845-02: moan and groan }} to a {{1844-01: gold //1845-02: golden }} throne beside the King of Heaven {{1844-01: ![[”]] //1845-02: .” }}


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Notes:

For an explanation of the formatting used in this Comparative Text, see editorial policies and methods. This format is very much an experiment, particularly for poetry.

Because these changes reflect two different printed texts, pagination has been omitted in the present text.


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[S:0 - comparative] - Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - Works - Poems - Lenore (Comparative Text - NYEM and GM)