Monday, October 8, 2012

To E.A.P on the anniversary of his death

In honor of Columbus day and the anniversary of the death of America's most original and visionary romantic, Edgar Allan Poe (d. Oct 7, 1849) here is a little ditty incorporating all of the titles of Poe's mature poems. It is dedicated to the young apprentice artists of Opera Roanoke. We began rehearsals yesterday for our upcoming Masques of Orpheus scenes program entitled "Tempests, Ghosts & Mad Queens." Edgar Allan himself will be the host of this ghoulish entertainment Nov 2 & 4 in Floyd and Roanoke, respectively.


To E.A.P on the anniversary of his death
(7.X.12 | Roanoke, VA)

What fantastic images of yore –
What haunted images of yours,
Edgar Allan shall we today conjure?

Shall we visit The Haunted Palace
“Ah, nevermore!” Serenade Ulalume, sing
To Helen or meet Annabel Lee in
Dream-Land by The City in the Sea that is
An Enigma tolling like “the tintinnabulation
that so musically wells” from The Bells
or the “double life” of Silence in The Valley of Unrest?

“I saw thee once” in A Dream Within a Dream
To One in Paradise - The Sleeper reads a twisted
Valentine of The Conqueror Worm
One of numberless unfinished Scenes from Politian
In The Coliseum, a Hymn from IsrafelTo My Mother
(in Eldorado) – ah, Lenore – or
To Helen, Eulalie, “blushing bride”
on the “Isola d’oro” when we fled
To Zante and sang our Bridal Ballad
For Annie, To F – S S. O – D, To F - -, To - -

Quoth The Raven: “Nevermore…”

N.B. The Italicized words are the titles of Poe’s poems;
the words in parentheses are quotations from them.
Very little in this so-called poem is therefore original. – H.L.M.



(Manet's illustration for Mallarme's French edition of "The Raven")

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