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Title: THE COLISEUM.
Rule: ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Line-01-001 TYPE of the antique Rome! Rich reliquary
Line-01-002 Of lofty contemplation left to Time
Line-01-003 By buried centuries of pomp and power!
Line-01-004 At length — at length — after so many days
Line-01-005 Of weary pilgrimage and burning thirst,
Line-01-006 (Thirst for the springs of lore that in thee lie,)
Line-01-007 I kneel, an altered and an humble man,
Line-01-008 Amid thy shadows, and so drink within
Line-01-009 My very soul thy grandeur, gloom, and glory!
Line-01-010 Vastness! and Age! and Memories of Eld!
Line-01-011 Silence! and Desolation! and dim Night!
Line-01-012 I feel ye now — I feel ye in your strength —
Line-01-013 O spells more sure than e’er Judæan king
Line-01-014 Taught in the gardens of Gethsemane!
Line-01-015 O charms more potent than the rapt Chaldee
Line-01-016 Ever drew down from out the quiet stars!
Line-01-017 Here, where a hero fell, a column falls!
Line-01-018 Here, where the mimic eagle glared in gold,
Line-01-019 A midnight vigil holds the swarthy bat!
Line-01-020 Here, where the dames of Rome their gilded hair
Line-01-021 Waved to the wind, now wave the reed and thistle!
Line-01-022 Here, where on golden throne the monarch lolled,
Line-01-023 Glides, spectre-like, unto his marble home, [page 13:]
Line-01-024 Lit by the wan <|> light of the hornéd moon, #
Line-01-025 The swift and silent lizard of the stones!
Line-01-026 But stay! these walls — these ivy-clad arcades —
Line-01-027 These mouldering plinths — these sad and blackened shafts —
Line-01-028 These vague entablatures — this crumbling frieze —
Line-01-029 These shattered cornices — this wreck — this ruin —
Line-01-030 These stones — alas! these gray stones — are they all —
Line-01-031 All of the famed, and the colossal left
Line-01-032 By the corrosive Hours to Fate and me?
Line-01-033 “Not all” — the Echoes answer me — “not all!
Line-01-034 “Prophetic sounds and loud, arise forever
Line-01-035 “From us, and from all Ruin, unto the wise,
Line-01-036 “As melody from Memnon to the Sun.
Line-01-037 “We rule the hearts of mightiest men — we rule
Line-01-038 “With a despotic sway all giant minds.
Line-01-039 “We are not impotent — we pallid stones.
Line-01-040 “Not all our power is gone — not all our fame —
Line-01-041 “Not all the magic of our high renown —
Line-01-042 “Not all the wonder that encircles us —
Line-01-043 “Not all the mysteries that in us lie —
Line-01-044 “Not all the memories that hang upon
Line-01-045 “And cling around about us as a garment,
Line-01-046 “Clothing us in a robe of more than glory.”
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[[Alternate presenation giving the text as originally printed, with indications for Poe's changes]]
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TYPE of the antique Rome! Rich reliquary
Of lofty contemplation left to Time
By buried centuries of pomp and power!
At length — at length — after so many days
Of weary pilgrimage and burning thirst,
(Thirst for the springs of lore that in thee lie,)
I kneel, an altered and an humble man,
Amid thy shadows, and so drink within
My very soul thy grandeur, gloom, and glory!
Vastness! and Age! and Memories of Eld!
Silence! and Desolation! and dim Night!
I feel ye now — I feel ye in your strength —
O spells more sure than e’er Judæan king
Taught in the gardens of Gethsemane!
O charms more potent than the rapt Chaldee
Ever drew down from out the quiet stars!
Here, where a hero fell, a column falls!
Here, where the mimic eagle glared in gold,
A midnight vigil holds the swarthy bat!
Here, where the dames of Rome their gilded hair
Waved to the wind, now wave the reed and thistle!
Here, where on golden throne the monarch lolled,
Glides, spectre-like, unto his marble home, [page 13:]
Lit by the wan <|> light of the hornéd moon, #
The swift and silent lizard of the stones!
But stay! these walls — these ivy-clad arcades —
These mouldering plinths — these sad and blackened shafts —
These vague entablatures — this crumbling frieze —
These shattered cornices — this wreck — this ruin —
These stones — alas! these gray stones — are they all —
All of the famed, and the colossal left
By the corrosive Hours to Fate and me?
“Not all” — the Echoes answer me — “not all!
“Prophetic sounds and loud, arise forever
“From us, and from all Ruin, unto the wise,
“As melody from Memnon to the Sun.
“We rule the hearts of mightiest men — we rule
“With a despotic sway all giant minds.
“We are not impotent — we pallid stones.
“Not all our power is gone — not all our fame —
“Not all the magic of our high renown —
“Not all the wonder that encircles us —
“Not all the mysteries that in us lie —
“Not all the memories that hang upon
“And cling around about us as a garment,
“Clothing us in a robe of more than glory.”
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Notes:
For an explanation of the formatting used in this Study Text, see editorial policies and methods. This format is very much an experiment, particularly for poetry. For the version with changes applied, see the full poem.
Because Poe's changes here are made in his own copy of The Raven and other Poems, the pagination of that edition has been retained in the present text.
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[S:0 - comparative] - Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - Works - Poems - The Coliseum (Study Text - RAOP-JLG)