ponder
reflect deeply on a subject
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I
pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
quaint
strange in an interesting or pleasing way
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a
quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
chamber
a room used primarily for sleeping
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my
chamber door.
bleak
unpleasantly cold and damp
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the
bleak December;
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
entreat
ask for or request earnestly
“’Tis some visitor
entreating entrance at my chamber door—
Some late visitor
entreating entrance at my chamber door;—
This it is and nothing more.”
implore
beg or request earnestly and urgently
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I
implore..."
lattice
framework consisting of an ornamental wood or metal design
“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!”
stately
refined or imposing in manner or appearance
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
yore
time long past
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
obeisance
bending the head or body in reverence or submission
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.
mien
a person's appearance, manner, or demeanor
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.
bust
a sculpture of the head and shoulders of a person
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.
In Greek mythology,
Pallas is another name for Athena, goddess of wisdom and warfare.
beguile
influence by slyness
Then this ebony bird
beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore
stern
serious and harsh in manner or behavior
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and
stern decorum of the countenance it wore
decorum
propriety in manners and conduct
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern
decorum of the countenance it wore
countenance
the appearance conveyed by a person's face
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the
countenance it wore
craven
an abject coward
“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!”
ghastly
shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
“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!”
ungainly
lacking grace in movement or posture
Much I marvelled this
ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore
placid
not easily irritated
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.
aptly
in a competent capable manner
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’.”
burden
the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work
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’.”
In this line,
burden literally means "the refrain or chorus of a musical composition."
dirge
a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person
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’.”
melancholy
grave or even gloomy in character
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’.”
ominous
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
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.”
gaunt
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
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.”
divine
perceive through some inexplicable perceptive powers
This and more I sat
divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er,
But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
gloat
gaze at or think about something with self-satisfaction
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light
gloated o’er,
But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light
gloating o’er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
seraph
an angel of the first order
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by
Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
respite
a relief from harm or discomfort
“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!”
Nepenthe is a potion that allows the drinker to forget his or her suffering.
quaff
swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught
“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!”
undaunted
unshaken in purpose
“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!”
balm
an aromatic resinous substance used for healing and soothing
“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!”
laden
burdened psychologically or mentally
“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.”
pallid
deficient in color suggesting physical or emotional distress
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the
pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door