Text: Edgar Allan Poe, “Lenore” (Comparative Text - RAOP-JLG and RDWA, etc.)


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Texts Represented:

  • 1849-01 - RAOP-JLG (1846-1849)
  • 1849-02 - Poe's letter to Griswold (May 1849) (final stanza only)
  • 1849-03 - Richmond Daily Whig and Advertiser (September 18, 1849)

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Title: LENORE.

Byline: {{1849-03: BY EDGAR A. POE }}

Rule: {{1849-01: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ }}

Line-01-001: {{1849-01: AH //1849-03: Ah }} , broken is the golden bowl! {{1849-03:}} the spirit flown forever!

Line-01-002: Let the bell toll! — a saintly soul floats on the Stygian river {{1849-01: ; //1849-03: : — }}

Line-01-003: And, Guy De Vere, hast thou no tear? — weep now or never more!

Line-01-004: See! on yon drear and rigid bier low lies thy love, Lenore!

Line-01-005: Come {{1849-01: ! //1849-03: , }} let the burial rite be read — the funeral song be sung! —

Line-01-006: An anthem for the queenliest dead that ever died so young —

Line-01-007: A dirge for her the doubly dead in that she died so young.

Line-01-008: “Wretches! ye loved her for her wealth and {{1849-03: ye }} hated her for her pride {{1849-01: , //1849-03: ; }}

Line-01-009: {{1849-01: “  }} And {{1849-03: , }} when she fell in feeble health, ye blessed her {{1849-01://1849-03: —— }} that she died {{1849-01: ! //1849-03: : — }}

Line-01-010: {{1849-01: “  }} How shall the ritual {{1849-01: , }} then {{1849-01: , }} be read? — the requiem how be sung

Line-01-011: {{1849-01: “  }} By you — by yours, the evil eye, — by yours {{1849-01: , }} the slanderous tongue

Line-01-012: {{1849-01: “  }} That did to death the innocence that died, and died so young?”

Line-01-013: Peccavimus; {{1849-03:}} but rave not thus! and let a Sabbath song

Line-01-014: Go up to God so solemnly the dead may feel no wrong!

Line-01-015: The sweet Lenore hath {{1849-01: “  }} gone before,{{1849-01:  ” }} with Hope, that flew beside,

Line-01-016: Leaving thee wild for the dear child that should have been thy bride —

Line-01-017: For her, the fair and {{1849-01: debonair //1849-03: debonair }} , that now so lowly lies,

Line-01-018: The life upon her yellow hair {{1849-03: , }} but not within her eyes —

Line-01-019: The life still there {{1849-01: , }} upon her hair {{1849-03://1849-03: , }} the death upon her eyes.

Line-01-020: Avaunt! — avaunt! {{1849-02; 1849-03: to friends }} from fiends {{1849-01: below, }} the indignant ghost is riven —

Line-01-021: “From Hell unto a high estate far up within the {{1849-03: utmost }} Heaven —

Line-01-022: “From {{1849-01; 1849-02: grief and groan, // 1849-03: moan and groan }} to a golden throne {{1849-01; 1849-02: , }} beside the King of Heaven {{1849-01: ! //1849-02: : }}

Line-01-023: [[“]]Let {{1849-01: no //1849-02: no }} bell toll, then {{1849-01: ! — //1849-02: , }} lest her soul, amid its hallowed mirth,

Line-01-024: [[“]]Should catch the note {{1849-02: , }} as it doth float up from the {{1849-01: damnéd //1849-02: damnèd }} Earth {{1849-01: ! — //1849-02: ; //1849-03: ! }}

Line-01-025: [[“]]And I! — to-night my heart is light! — {{1849-01: No //1849-02: no }} dirge will I upraise

Line-01-026: [[“]]But waft the angel on her flight with a {{1849-01; 1849-02: Pæan //1849-03: Pœan [[Pæan]] }} of old days! {{1849-01; 1849-02: [[”]] //1849-03:  ” }}


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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 - RAOP-JLG and RDWA, etc.)