Then　my　heart　it　grew　ashen　and　sober
  As　the　leaves　that　were　crisped　and　sere
  As　the　leaves　that　were　withering　and　sere
  And　I　cried　　〃It　was　surely　October
  On　_this_　very　night　of　last　year；
  That　I　journeyed　　I　journeyed　down　here！
  That　I　brought　a　dread　burden　down　here
  On　this　night；　of　all　nights　in　the　year；
  Ah；　what　demon　has　tempted　me　here？
  Well　I　know；　now；　this　dim　lake　of　Auber
  This　misty　mid　region　of　Weir：
  Well　I　know；　now；　this　dank　tarn　of　Auber
  This　ghoul…haunted　woodland　of　Weir。〃
  1847。
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  TO　HELEN
  I　saw　thee　once　once　only　　years　ago：
  I　must　not　say　how　many　　but　not　many。
  It　was　a　July　midnight；　and　from　out
  A　full…orbed　moon；　that；　like　thine　own　soul；　soaring；
  Sought　a　precipitate　pathway　up　through　heaven；
  There　fell　a　silvery…silken　veil　of　light；
  With　quietude；　and　sultriness；　and　slumber；
  Upon　the　upturned　faces　of　a　thousand
  Roses　that　grew　in　an　enchanted　garden；
  Where　no　wind　dared　to　stir；　unless　on　tiptoe
  Fell　on　the　upturn'd　faces　of　these　roses
  That　gave　out；　in　return　for　the　love…light；
  Their　odorous　souls　in　an　ecstatic　death
  Fell　on　the　upturn'd　faces　of　these　roses
  That　smiled　and　died　in　this　parterre；　enchanted
  By　thee；　and　by　the　poetry　of　thy　presence。
  Clad　all　in　white；　upon　a　violet　bank
  I　saw　thee　half　reclining；　while　the　moon
  Fell　on　the　upturn'd　faces　of　the　roses；
  And　on　thine　own；　upturn'd…　alas；　in　sorrow！
  Was　it　not　Fate；　that；　on　this　July　midnight…
  Was　it　not　Fate；　（whose　name　is　also　Sorrow；）
  That　bade　me　pause　before　that　garden…gate；
  To　breathe　the　incense　of　those　slumbering　roses？
  No　footstep　stirred：　the　hated　world　an　slept；
  Save　only　thee　and　me。　（Oh；　Heaven！…　oh；　God！
  How　my　heart　beats　in　coupling　those　two　words！）
  Save　only　thee　and　me。　I　paused…　I　looked…
  And　in　an　instant　all　things　disappeared。
  （Ah；　bear　in　mind　this　garden　was　enchanted！）
  The　pearly　lustre　of　the　moon　went　out：
  The　mossy　banks　and　the　meandering　paths；
  The　happy　flowers　and　the　repining　trees；
  Were　seen　no　more：　the　very　roses'　odors
  Died　in　the　arms　of　the　adoring　airs。
  All…　all　expired　save　thee…　save　less　than　thou：
  Save　only　the　divine　light　in　thine　eyes…
  Save　but　the　soul　in　thine　uplifted　eyes。
  I　saw　but　them…　they　were　the　world　to　me！
  I　saw　but　them…　saw　only　them　for　hours；
  Saw　only　them　until　the　moon　went　down。
  What　wild　heart…histories　seemed　to　he　enwritten
  Upon　those　crystalline；　celestial　spheres！
  How　dark　a　woe；　yet　how　sublime　a　hope！
  How　silently　serene　a　sea　of　pride！
  How　daring　an　ambition；　yet　how　deep…
  How　fathomless　a　capacity　for　love！
  But　now；　at　length；　dear　Dian　sank　from　sight；
  Into　a　western　couch　of　thunder…cloud；
  And　thou；　a　ghost；　amid　the　entombing　trees
  Didst　glide　away。　Only　thine　eyes　remained；
  They　would　not　go…　they　never　yet　have　gone；
  Lighting　my　lonely　pathway　home　that　night；
  They　have　not　left　me　（as　my　hopes　have）　since；
  They　follow　me…　they　lead　me　through　the　years。
  They　are　my　ministers　　yet　I　their　slave。
  Their　office　is　to　illumine　and　enkindle
  My　duty；　to　be　saved　by　their　bright　light；
  And　purified　in　their　electric　fire；
  And　sanctified　in　their　elysian　fire。
  They　fill　my　soul　with　Beauty　（which　is　Hope）；
  And　are　far　up　in　Heaven　　the　stars　I　kneel　to
  In　the　sad；　silent　watches　of　my　night；
  While　even　in　the　meridian　glare　of　day
  I　see　them　still　　two　sweetly　scintillant
  Venuses；　unextinguished　by　the　sun！
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  ANNABEL　LEE。
  It　was　many　and　many　a　year　ago；
  In　a　kingdom　by　the　sea；
  That　a　maiden　lived　whom　you　may　know
  By　the　name　of　ANNABEL　LEE；　…
  And　this　maiden　she　lived　with　no　other　thought
  Than　to　love　and　be　loved　by　me。
  _I_　was　a　child　and　_She_　was　a　child；
  In　this　kingdom　by　the　sea；
  But　we　loved　with　a　love　that　was　more　than　love　…
  I　and　my　ANNABEL　LEE　…
  With　a　love　that　the　wing閐　seraphs　of　Heaven
  Coveted　her　and　me。
  And　this　was　the　reason　that；　long　ago；
  In　this　kingdom　by　the　sea；
  A　wind　blew　out　of　a　cloud　by　night
  Chilling　my　ANNABEL　LEE；
  So　that　her　high…born　kinsmen　came
  And　bore　her　away　from　me；
  To　shut　her　up；　in　a　sepulchre
  In　this　kingdom　by　the　sea。
  The　angels；　not　half　so　happy　in　Heaven；
  Went　envying　her　and　me；
  Yes！　that　was　the　reason　（as　all　men　know；
  In　this　kingdom　by　the　sea）
  That　the　wind　came　out　of　the　cloud；　chilling
  And　killing　my　ANNABEL　LEE。
  But　our　love　it　was　stronger　by　far　than　the　love
  Of　those　who　were　older　than　we　…
  Of　many　far　wiser　than　we　…
  And　neither　the　angels　in　Heaven　above
  Nor　the　demons　down　under　the　sea
  Can　ever　dissever　my　soul　from　the　soul
  Of　the　beautiful　ANNABEL　LEE：　…
  For　the　moon　never　beams　without　bringing　me　dreams
  Of　the　beautiful　ANNABEL　LEE；
  And　the　stars　never　rise　but　I　see　the　bright　eyes
  Of　the　beautiful　ANNABEL　LEE；
  And　so；　all　the　night…tide；　I　lie　down　by　the　side
  Of　my　darling；　my　darling；　my　life　and　my　bride
  In　her　sepulchre　there　by　the　sea　…
  In　her　tomb　by　the　side　of　the　sea。
  1849。
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  A　VALENTINE。
  For　her　this　rhyme　is　penned；　whose　luminous　eyes；
  Brightly　expressive　as　the　twins　of　Loeda；
  Shall　find　her　own　sweet　name；　that；　nestling　lies
  Upon　the　page；　enwrapped　from　every　reader。
  Search　narrowly　the　lines！　　they　hold　a　treasure
  Divine　　a　talisman　　an　amulet
  That　must　be　worn　_at　heart_。　Search　well　the　measure
  The　words　　the　syllables！　Do　not　forget
  The　trivialest　point；　or　you　may　lose　your　labor！
  And　yet　there　is　in　this　no　Gordian　knot
  Which　one　might　not　undo　without　a　sabre；
  If　one　could　merely　comprehend　the　plot。
  Enwritten　upon　the　leaf　where　now　are　peering
  Eyes　scintillating　soul；　there　lie　_perdus_
  Three　eloquent　words　oft　uttered　in　the　hearing
  Of　poets；　by　poets　　as　the　name　is　a　poet's；　too。
  Its　letters；　although　naturally　lying
  Like　the　knight　Pinto　　Mendez　Ferdinando
  Still　form　a　synonym　for　Truth　　Cease　trying！
  You　will　not　read　the　riddle；　though　you　do　the　best　_you_　can　do。
  1846。
  ＇To　discover　the　names　in　this　and　the　following　poem　read　the　first
  letter　of　the　first　line　in　connection　with　the　second　letter　of　the
  second　line；　the　third　letter　of　the　third　line；　the　fourth　of　the　fourth
  and　so　on　to　the　end。＇
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  AN　ENIGMA
  〃Seldom　we　find；〃　says　Solomon　Don　Dunce；
  〃Half　an　idea　in　the　profoundest　sonnet。
  Through　all　the　flimsy　things　we　see　at　once
  As　easily　as　through　a　Naples　bonnet　…
  Trash　of　all　trash！　…　how　_can_　a　lady　don　it？
  Yet　heavier　far　than　your　Petrarchan　stuff…
  Owl…downy　nonsense　that　the　faintest　puff
  Twirls　into　trunk…paper　the　while　you　con　it。〃
  And；　veritably；　Sol　is　right　enough。
  The　general　tuckermanities　are　arrant
  Bubbles　…　ephemeral　and　_so_　transparent　…
  But　_this_　is；　now；　…　you　may　depend　upon　it　…
  Stable；　opaque；　immortal　…　all　by　dint
  Of　the　dear　names　that　lie　concealed　within　't。
  1847。
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  TO　MY　MOTHER
  Because　I　feel　that；　in　the　Heavens　above；
  The　angels；　whispering　to　one　another；
  Can　find；　among　their　burning　terms　of　love；
  None　so　devotional　as　that　of　〃Mother；〃
  Therefore　by　that　dear　name　I　long　have　called　you
  You　who　are　more　than　mother　unto　me；
  And　fill　my　heart　of　hearts；　where　Death　installed　you
  In　setting　my　Virginia's　spirit　free。
  My　mother　　my　own　mother；　who　died　early；
  Was　but　the　mother　of　myself；　but　you
  Are　mother　to　the　one　I　loved　so　dearly；
  And　thus　are　dearer　than　the　mother　I　knew
  By　that　infinity　with　which　my　wife
  Was　dearer　to　my　soul　than　its　soul…life。
  1849。
  ＇The　above　was　addressed　to　the　poet's　mother…in…law；　Mrs。　Clemm　Ed。＇
  ~~~　End　of　Text　~~~
  FOR　ANNIE
  Thank　Heaven！　the　crisis
  The　danger　is　past；
  And　the　lingering　illness
  Is　over　at　last
  And　the　fever　called　〃Living〃
  Is　conquered　at　last。
  Sadly；　I　know
  I　am　shorn　of　my　strength；
  And　no　muscle　I　move
  As　I　lie　at　full　length
  But　no　matter！　　I　feel
  I　am　better　at　length。
  And　I　rest　so　composedly；
  Now；　in　my　bed；
  That　any　beholder
  Might　fancy　me　dead
  Might　start　at　beholding　me；
  Thinking　me　dead。
  The　moaning　and　groaning；
  The　sighing　and　sobbing；
  Are　quieted　now；
  With　that　horrible　throbbing
  At　heart：　　ah；　that　horrible；
  Horrible　throbbing！
  The　sickness　　the　nausea
  The　pitiless　pain
  Have　ceased；　with　the　fever
  That　maddened　my　brain
  With　the　fever　called　〃Living〃
  That　burned　in　my　brain。
  And　oh！　of　all　tortures
  _That_　torture　the　worst
  Has　abated　　the　terrible
  Torture　of　thirst
  For　the　naphthaline　river
  Of　Passion　accurst：
  I　have　drank　of　a　water
  That　quenches　all　thirst：
  Of　a　water　that　flows；
  With　a　lullaby　sound；
  From　a　spring　but　a　very　few
  Feet　under　ground
  From　a　cavern　not　very　far
  Down　under　ground。
  And　ah！　let　it　never
  Be　foolishly　said
  That　my　room　it　is　gloomy
  And　narrow　my　bed；
  For　man　never　slept
  In　a　different　be