Text: Robert A. Stewart (ed. J. A. Harrison), “Notes to The Imp of the Perverse,” The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Vol. VI: Tales - part 05 (1902), 6:287-290

[page 287, continued:]

As the later magazine form of this tale was not available for collation, Griswold has been taken as the text.

The earliest state shows extensive variations from the text. In fact the whole tale was subjected to a most careful and minute verbal correction, without change of incidents and ideas.

Variations of Graham from text.

Page 145 l. 6 all the (the) l. 7 reason, (o. c.) l. 9 senses, (o. c. ) l. 9 faith; — (— ) l. 10 , or (o. c. ) l. 10-11 in ... Kabbala (in the inner teachings of the spirit) l. 11 The ... it (Its idea) l. 11 never (not) l. 12 its (its seeming) l. 13 of ... propensity, (for the propensity in question.) l. 15 , that (—) l. 16 itself; (—) l. 17 we ... understood (o.) l. 19-20 that ... all (that all) l. 20 , have (has) l. 25 built (reared) l. 26 mind (cap. ) l. 26 phrenology (cap.) page 146 l. 4 alimentativeness (cap.) l. 5 man ... eating (man to his food) l. 6 Secondly (Again) [page 288:] l. 8 amativeness, (amativeness) l. 8-9 c ... i ... c ... c (cap.) l. 10 — so (;) l. 18 objects (i.) l. 19-20 wiser ... upon (safer — if classify we must — to classify upon) l. 25 , that (o. c.) l. 29 , a posteriori, (o. c.) l. 29 phrenology (cap.) l. 31 , which (o. c.) l. 31- 32 we ... perverseness (o.) l. 32-33 more ... term (better term, we may call Perverseness) l. 34 , a (—) page 147 l. 1 ; or, (. Or) l. 3 say, (o. c.) l. 4 act, (o. c.) l. 6 ; but (,) l. 6 , in fact, (in reality) l. 6 more (so) l. 7 conditions (circumstances) l. 8 certain (sure) l. 9 assurance (conviction) l. 9 error (impolicy) l. 10 any (an) l. 11 us (us,) l. 18 combativeness (Combativeness) l. 19 phrenology (cap.) l. 20 combativeness (cap.) l. 21 , the (o. c.) l. 23 , is (must be) l. 26-28 its ... any (any) l. 27 c . . . (cap.) l. 29 , but (. But) l. 28 perverseness (cap. n. i.) l. 29 not (i.) l. 30 exists (prevails) l. 33 and ... questions (o.) l. 34 soul, (o.c.) page 148 l. 2 distinctive (distinct) l. 2 who (who,) l. 5 is (, in such case, is) l. 11 yet ..., that (yet a shadow seems to flit across the brain, and suddenly the thought strikes him that,) l. 12 this (o.) l. 14 , the (—) l. 14 desire (desire —) l. 15 , and (—) l. 16-17, (to ... is in defiance of all consequences, is) l. 18 We (Again: — We) l. 22 glow (—) l. 23-24 with ... fire. (and our whole souls are on fire with anticipation of the glorious result.) l. 24 , it ( —) l. 25 to-day, (—) l. 26 ; and (. And) l. 26 answer, (o. c.) l. 27 , using (— employing) l. 29 , but (;) l. 30 nameless, (—) l. 31 , craving (o. c.) l. 34 us, — (— ) page 149 l. 1 substance ... shadow (cap.) l. 2 . But (; but) l. 3 shadow (cap.) l. 3 , — we (. We) l. 4 strikes, (o. c.) l. 4 . At (, but at) l. 5 time, (o. c.) l. 5 it (o.) l. 5 ghost (Thing) l. 6 — it (. It) l. 7 — we (. We) l. 8 . Alas (— alas) l. 9 We (And yet again: — We)1. 10 — we (. We) l. 11 Unaccountably (, and yet, unaccountably,) l. 14-15 , still ... imperceptible, (o. c.) l. 16 genius (cap.) l. 18 , a (o. c.) l. 18-19 , far ... genius (far ... Genius) l. 19 demon (cap.) l. 20 , and (. And) l. 20 thought (Thought) l. 20-21 a . . . [page 289:] which (one which) l. 29 for this ... cause (i.) l. 30 vividly (impetuously) l. 31 violently (most strenuously) l. 31 , do (o. c.) l. 32 impetuously (unhesitatingly) l. 33 nature (cap.) l. 33 so ... impatient, (of so demoniac an impatience) l. 33 as ... him, who (as the passion of him who,) page 150 l. 1 for (, even for) l. 5 prostrate (throw) l. 6 abyss (danger, and so out of its sight) l. 6 , and (o. c.) l. 10 this, (o. c.) l. 11-12 no ... perverseness (no principle that men, in their fleshly nature, can understand; and were it not occasionally known to operate in furtherance of good, we might deem the analogous feeling) l. 12 arch-fiend, (Arch-fiend) l. 13-14 were ... good (o.) l. 15 said (premised) l. 15 much, (o. c.) l. 15-16 that ... question (that I may be able, in some degree, to give an intelligible answer to your queries) l. 17-18 that ... cause (that I may assign something like a reason) l. 19 , and for my (and) l. 19 this (the) l. 22 have (you might have) l. 22-24 As ... Perverse. (o.) l. 26 a (o.) l. 27 , for (—) l. 27 months, (—) l. 28 schemes, (o. c.) page 151 l. 4 his ... room (his) l. 5 , for (o. c.) l. 6 discovered (o.) l. 7 coroner's (o.) l. 7 was, — (was) l. 9 well (merrily) l. 10-11 once brain (obtruded itself) l. 11 taper, (o. c.) l. 12. I had left no (, nor had I left the) l. 13 convict, (o. c.) l. 16 absolute (i.) l. 17 time, (o. c.) l. 17, I ... revel (I reveled) l. 18 more (, I believe, more) l. 19-20 But there (There) (New par. in Gra.) l. 20 from ... the (after which this) l. 21-22 feeling ... thought, (feeling took to itself a new tone, and grew, by scarcely perceptible gradations, into a haunting and harassing thought — a thought that harassed because it haunted.) l. 23 “I could” begins new par. l. 25 with (by) l. 25 or ... our (or) l. 26 burthen (burden) l. 26 some (an) l. 27 opera (opera —) l. 30 catch (find) l. 30 my (my impunity and) l. 31 and (and very frequently would catch myself) l. 31 phrase (phrases) l. 32 safe, (safe — I am safe.) l. 33 along (listlessly about) page 152 l. 1 , I (at my indiscretion I) l. 1 re-modelled (remodeled) l. 2 yes — (,) l. 2-3 if [page 290:] ... confession (i.) l. 3 ! (.) spoken (uttered) l. 5 some ( (long ago, during childhood) some) l. 6 these (those) l. 6 perversity, (Perversity) l. 7 some (so much) l. 7 to explain, (in explaining) l. 7 well, (o.) l. 8 , I had (had I) l. 9 , that (—) l. 10-11 confess ... guilty, (make open confession —) l. 12 whom (o.) l. 13 — and (,) l. 14 first, (o. c.) l. 14 an (strong) l. 15 soul, (soul. I whistled — I laughed aloud —) l. 15-16 — still ... ran, (and still faster. At length I saw — or fancied that I saw — a vast and formless shadow that seemed to dog my footsteps, approaching me from behind, with a cat- like and stealthy pace. It was then that I ran.) l. 16 maddening (wild) l. 18 , for, (— for) l. 18-19 well ... understood (understood too well) l. 19 , to (o.c.) l. 19 situation (condition) l. 20 lost (undone) l. 20 pace (steps) l. 21-22 At length, (But now) l. 22 the alarm (alarm) l. 22 me (o.) l. 23 I ... then (Then — then I felt) l. 23 fate (cap.) l. 24. tongue, (o. c.) l. 24 — but (. But) l. 25 voice (voice from some member of the crowd now) l. 25 — a (, and a) l. 26 shoulder (arm) l. 27 moment, (o. c.) l. 28 ; I (—) l. 28 giddy; (—) l. 29-30 and ... palm (and at this instant it was no mortal hand, I knew, that struck me violently with a broad and massive palm) l. 30 The (At the blow the) l. 30 long- (o. h.) l. 32 a (o.) l. 33 marked (o.) page 153 l. 1 bell (cap.) Last two pars, page 153 do not occur in Gra.