Upon  her  hair —
The  death  upon  her  eyes.
"Avaunt!  tonight
My  heart  is  light.
No  dirge  will  I  upraise,
But  waft  the  angel  on  her  flight

With  a  peean  of  old  days !
Let  no  bell  toll  !—
Lest  her  sweet  soul,

Amid  its  hallowed  mirth,
Should  catch  the  note,
As  it  doth  float —

Up  from  the  damned  earth.
To  friends  above,  from  friends  below.
The  indignant  ghost  is  riven —
From  hell  unto  a  high  estate

Far  up  within  the  heaven —
From  grief  and  groan,
To  a  golden  throne.
Beside  the  King  of  Heaven."
(Written  at  20  years  of  age,)


EDGAB  ALLAN  POE  151

I.  Aim  to  fully  understand  the  poem.  Explain: —
Stygian  river,  bier,  dirge,  anthem,  ritual,  requiem.  Pec-
cavimus,  debonair,  paean,  avaunt.
II.  What  incident  furnished  the  foundation  for  this
poem?

THE  RAVEN.
