"Once upon a midnight dreary

[hfojvt]

while I pondered weak and weary
over many a quaint and curious volume
of forgotten lore
while I nodded, nearly napping
suddenly there came a tapping
as of someone gently rapping
rapping on my chamber door
'tis some visitor I muttered
tapping on my chamber door
only this
and nothing more

Ah, distinctly I remember
it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember
wrought its ghost upon the floor.
eagerly I wished the morrow
vainly I had sought to borrow
from my books, surcease of sorrow
sorrow for the lost Lenore
for that rare and radiant maiden
whom the angels named Lenore
nameless here
for evermore ..."


On this date (actually now it was yesterday) The Raven was published anonymously in a New York magazine in 1845. Edgar Allan Poe was paid $15 dollars for it. Which I suppose at the time might have been six weeks wages.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. What a cool bit of literary history, my dear hfojvt!

And it's still the 29th here in California!

Only $15? How the times have changed, indeed......

I've always admired his writing, and have always found his life to be fascinating..........

Thanks for posting! :hi:

[hfojvt]

3. I always love the "today in history" section of the paper

I usually want to share a birthday with DU (as in 'today is Isaac Asimov's birthday' (okay that's not today, just and example. I cannot remember any from today)), but it is tomorrow before I get back home from work, except on the west coast where tomorrow is two hours late and maybe our Alaskan DUers are worse. Do we have any Hawaiians? Japanese. Where is Udokier?

[The Traveler]

2. Let us raise a glass, then

to the infamous and mysterious Poe Toaster. Or Son of the Poe Toaster, as now appears to be the case.

Trav

[VenusRising]

4. Should I be shot since the first thing that came to mind

was the Blues Traveler song "Run Around"?

:shrug:

[hfojvt]

5. no need for shooting

listening to Blues Traveler is already cruel and unusual punishment :hide: