Edgar Allan Poe had honed his supernaturally fantastic skills as a poetic genius when he wrote ‘The Raven’ in the year 1845.
It is a narrative poem about an unnamed writer who is visited by a jet black raven in the middle of the night who only answers “Nevermore” to every question the narrator asks, driving him to a state of lunacy. Drawing upon references from classical, folk, and religious mythology the poem creates a supernatural atmosphere making it one of the finest and most popular works of supernatural art in the history of literature.
It has also been parodied, illustrated as well as adapted into movie versions. Here is a list of some of the prime quotes from both the poem and other versions related to the poem.
‘The Raven’ Quotes From The Poem
‘The Raven’ is still considered to be one of the finest supernatural works of poetic art ever written by Poe. Here is a list of some of the best quotes from the poem that will instill fear into your heart.
1. “Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
2. “Quoth the Raven, ‘Nevermore.'”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
3. “Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;
This it is, and nothing more.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
4. “Deep into that darkness peering,
long I stood there, wondering, fearing,
doubting, dreaming dreams
no mortal ever dared to dream before.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
5. “And the silken, sad, uncertain
rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me, filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
6. “From my books surcease of sorrow-
sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here forevermore.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
7. “Then, methought, the air grew denser,
perfumed from an unseen censer,
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
8. “Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!
Quoth the Raven, ‘Nevermore.'”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
9. “And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
10. “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.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
11. “‘Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,’ I said, ‘art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore —'”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
12. “Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
13. “Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!’ I shrieked, upstarting—
Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
14. “For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door—
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as ‘Nevermore.'”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
15. “And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted—nevermore!”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
16. “And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
17. “Darkness there and nothing more.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
18. “And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, ‘Lenore?’
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, ‘Lenore!’—
Merely this and nothing more.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
19. “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.
Quoth the Raven ‘Nevermore.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
20. “Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
‘Sir,’ said I, ‘or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore’.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, ‘The Raven’, 1845.
‘The Raven’ Quotes From The Film
‘The Raven’ starring John Cusack, loosely based on the poem by Edgar Allan Poe is a movie that was released back in 2012 evoking the same supernaturally thrilling elements of the verse. Here is a list of a few quotes from the movie.
21. “No, no, no. Never. If your father sees me there tomorrow, he may have me shot. And, there well may be a depraved killer on the guest list. It’s a bit much for one night.”
-‘The Raven’, 2012.
22. “Emily: You did mean it?
Edgar: Mean what?
Emily: When you said you would marry me.
Edgar: In this life and the next.”
-‘The Raven’, 2012.
23. “I will kill this perversion of a man. For godspeed, even his prose is barbaric.”
-‘The Raven’, 2012.
24. “I’ll send you to hell!”
-‘The Raven’, 2012.
25. “I feel as if I’ve gone from author to character in one of my many tales. I’m as trapped and bedeviled as any of the hapless beings I ever created.”
-‘The Raven’, 2012.
The Raven Quotes
- “Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;”
- “Leave my loneliness unbroken”
- “Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.”
- “Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”
- “Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore…”
- To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;
- Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore –
- Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
- And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
- Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning
- And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted – nevermore
- Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
- In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
- “Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
- “Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!
- “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil! – prophet still, if bird or devil! – Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
- Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
- “Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting
- From my books surcease of sorrow – sorrow for the lost Lenore – For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore –
Ravens Quotes
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On the road to wisdom, behave like a raven and observe everything carefully!
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Some battles are won with swords and spears, others with quills and ravens.
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Ravens are the birds I’ll miss most when I die. If only the darkness into which we must look were composed of the black light of their limber intelligence. If only we did not have to die at all. Instead, become ravens.
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When you do what you want, not what you wish…’ said the first raven. ‘When you no longer seek your reflection in others’ eyes…’ said the second. ‘When you see yourselves face to face…’ said the third. ‘Then,’ the ravens intoned in unison, ‘you will have found what you truly seek.
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Cruel birds, ravens, but wise. And creatures should be loved for their wisdom if they cannot be loved for kindness.
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And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting…
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Death makes angels of us all and gives us wings where we had shoulders smooth as ravens claws.
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The raven spread out its glossy wings and departed like hope.
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Mad Hatter: “Why is a raven like a writing-desk?” “Have you guessed the riddle yet?” the Hatter said, turning to Alice again. “No, I give it up,” Alice replied: “What’s the answer?” “I haven’t the slightest idea,” said the Hatter
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Does wisdom perhaps appear on the earth as a raven which is inspired by the smell of carrion?
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Raven?’ Yes?’ What do you believe in?’ I believe in – finding out!
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Entranced by the flight of a raven, I watch its shadow move effortlessly against golden, shimmering granite. I long to be that free, flying above the cluttered world of normalcy, where so many are half alive.
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Sorrow is not a raven perched persistently above a chamber door. Sorrow is a thing with teeth, and while in time it retreats, it comes back at the whisper of it’s name.
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From warriors ravens grew red And with their leader a host attacked.
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Dat veniam corvis, vexat censura columbas. – Censure acquits the raven, but pursues the dove.
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Ravens bring things to people. We’re like that. It’s our nature. We don’t like it.
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So lonely I make friends with the ravens that prey on lambs.
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Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!” Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.
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How sweetly did they float upon the wings Of silence through the empty-vaulted night, At every fall smoothing the raven down Of darkness till it smiled!
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Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.
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The raven once in snowy plumes was drest,
White as the whitest dove’s unsullied breast,
Fair as the guardian of the Capitol,
Soft as the swan; a large and lovely fowl
His tongue, his prating tongue had changed him quite
To sooty blackness from the purest white. -
To all new truths, or renovation of old truths, it must be as in the ark between the destroyed and the about-to-be renovated world. The raven must be sent out before the dove, and ominous controversy must precede peace and the olive wreath.
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And the Raven, never flitting, Still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas Just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming Of a demon’s that is dreaming, And the lamplight o’er him streaming Throws his shadow on the floor, And my soul from out that shadow, That lies floating on the floor, Shall be lifted – nevermore.
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My love is like some raven at my window with a broken wing.
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He that visits the sick in hopes of a legacy, but is never so friendly in all other cases, I look upon him as being no better than a raven that watches a weak sheep only to peck out its eyes.
