Text: Robert A. Stewart (ed. J. A. Harrison), “Notes to Morella,” The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Vol. II: Tales - part 01 (1902), 2:318-322

[page 318, continued:]

The text follows the Broadway Journal.

Griswold has several verbal variations from the text.

1840 shows a number of variations from the earlier (Southern Literary Messenger) form.

In the Gentleman’ s Magazine the tale has the following statement prefixed: — “Extracted by permission of the publishers, Messrs. Lea and Blanchard from forthcoming ‘Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque,’ ” and this is borne out by the very slight difference in the two texts.

The tale appears again, revised, in the Broadway Journal. The most important variation from the earlier form is the omission of Morella's hymn, with necessary alteration of adjacent passages.

Variations of Southern Literary Messenger from the text.

Motto: — Itself ... single. (Auto kath’auto meth’auton, mono eides aei on. Itself alone by itself — eternally one and single.) [page 319:] Page 27 l. 4 before (o.) l. 5 ; but (—) l. 5 Eros, (—) l. 6 spirit (eager spirit) l. 8 met; (:) l. 8 fate (cap.) l. 9 altar; (:) l. 9-10 spoke of passion, nor thought of love (spoke of love, or thought of passion) l. 12 ; — it (It) l. 16 and, (o. c.) l. 17 matters, (o. c.) l. 18 , perhaps (Morella, perhaps) l. 19 , she placed (laid) page 28 l. 2 study — (:) l. 3 that, (o. c.) l. 8 the ideal (my imagination) l. 11 Persuaded (Feeling deeply persuaded) l. 11 this, (o. c.) l. 11-12 implicitly (more implicitly) l. 13 unflinching (bolder) l. 14 when, (o. c.) l. 14 pages, (o. c.) l. 15 a forbidden spirit enkindling (the spirit kindle) l. 15 me — (,) l. 17 low, (o. c.) l. 18 burned (burnt) l. 19 And (: and) l. 19-20 , hour ... hour, (o. c.) l. 21 voice — (thrilling voice,) l. 21 , at length, (o. c.) l. 22 tainted (tinged) l. 22 terror, — (terror) l. 22 there (o.) l. 23 — and (,) l. 24 . And (— and) l. 24 joy (cap.) l. 24 thus, (o. c.) l. 25 horror (cap.) l. 27 those (these) l. 28 which (, which) l. 34 Fichte; etc. (—) page 29 l. 2 Schelling, (o. c.) l. 4 identity (cap. and i.) l. 4 termed personal (not improperly called Personal) l. 5 Mr. Locke, I think, (I think Mr. Locke) l. 12 principium (cap. and n. i.) l. 12 ind. (cap. n. i.) l. 13 , or (o. c.) l. 1 me — . (,) l. 15 perplexing (mystical) l. 15 ; not (,) l. 20 as (like) l. 23 this, (o. c.) l. 24 ; she (. She) l. 25 folly, (—) l. 26 , also, (o. c.) l. 29 time, (o. c.) l. 31 prominent; (:) l. 31 , one instant, (o. c.) l. 32 , in the next, (o. c.) l. 33 then (o.) page 30 l. 1-2 unfathomable (fathomless) l. 3 longed (long’d) l. 5 ; but (. But) l. 8 through (with) l. 9 , cursed (, I cursed) l. 9 and, (o. c.) l. 10 moments, (o. c.) l. 11 and (, and) l. 14 heaven (cap.) l. 14 bed-side (side) l. 16 and, (o. c.) l. 17 forest, (o. c.) after l. 18 insert: — As I came, she was murmuring in a low under-tone the words of a Catholic hymn:

l. 19 , she ... approached; (— said Morella —) l. 21 earth (cap.) l. 21 life (cap.) l. 31 ah, (ah!) l. 22 heaven (cap.) l. 42 death (cap.) l. 23 kissed her forehead (turned towards her,) l. 23 continued: (.) l. 24 , yet (—) after l. 24 insert: — Therefore for me, Morella, thy wife, hath the charnel-house no terrors — mark me! — not even the terrors of the worm. The days have never been when thou couldst love me; but her whom in life thou didst abhor, in death thou shalt adore. l. 25-29 “The days ... Morella” (o.) l. 31 — which (which) l. 32 thou didst feel (you felt) page 31 l. 3 over; (,) l. 3 joy (cap.) l. 5 no longer (not) l. 6 time (cap.) l. 7 the (o.) l. 8 as do (like) l. 9 “Morella!” I cried, (‘Morella!’ — I cried —) l. 1 foretold (foreseen) l. 15 until (till) l. 1 stature (size) l. 19-20 feel ... of (feel on) l. 21 , ere long, (o. c.) l. 21 heaven (cap.) l. 22 darkened, (overcast;) l. 22 gloom (cap.) l. 22 horror (cap.) l. 22 brief (cap.) l. 23 swept (came) page 32 l. 3 it — (,) l. 4 , of (o. c.) l. 4. fearful (fearful,) l. 8 destiny (cap.) l. 9 rigorous (rigid) l. 9 home, (ancestral home, I) l. 11 the beloved (my daughter) l. 12 And, (o. c.) l. 12-13 and ... day (and daily I gazed) l. 1 3 her holy, and mild and eloquent (her eloquent and mild and [page 321:] holy) l. 14 , day after day, (o.) l. 15 mother, (—) l. 16 melancholy (melancholy,) l. 16 , hourly, (o. c.) l. 17 shadows (shadows, as it were,) l. 17 more (became more) l. 18-19 more hideously terrible (to me more terrible) l. 20 bear; (—) l. 21 identity — (:) l. 22 like Morella's (Morella's own) l. 22 endure; (—) l. 22-23 too often looked down (looked down too often) l. 24 own (o.) l. 27 sad (o.) l. 28 all — (all,) l. 28 ok, (!) l. 31 would (n. i.) l. 32 lustra (lustrums) l. 32-33 and, as yet, (, yet) page 33 l. 4 daughter; — (—) l. 5 Indeed, (o. c.) l. 7 save (but) l. 9 mind, (o. c.) l. 11 terrors (horrors) l. 13 old (antique) l. 15 lips, with (lips — and) l. 16 happy, (o. c.) l. 17 , then, (o. c.) l. 19 ebb (ebb and flow) l. 20 torrents (tides) l. 21 when, (o. c.) l. 33 whispered (shrieked ) l. 24 — Morella (,) l. 25 child, (o. c.) l. 26 hues (the hues) l. 26 as (as,) l. 26 scarcely audible (o.) l. 27 earth (cap.) l. 4 heaven (cap.) l. 28 and, (o. c.) l. 28 on (upon) l. 28 our (her) l. 29 — I (o. d.) l. 30-32 fell ... brain (— like a knell of death — horrible death, sank the eternal sounds within my soul.) l. 33 pass (roll) l. 34 Nor (Now) page 34 l. 3 fate (cap.) l. 4 heaven (cap.) l. 4 and (and,) l. 4-5 the ... figures (, my spirit grew dark, and the figures of the earth) l. 5 me, (o. c.) l. 9 died; (,) l. 10 tomb; (,) l. 10 with (, with) l. 11 first, (o. c.)

Variations of 1840 from the text.

Motto. Itself ... everlastingly. (Itself, alone by itself, eternally one, and single.)

Page 27 l. 5 Eros, (;) page 28 l. 3 that, (o. c.) l. 3 own, (o. c.) l. 9 read, (o. c.) l. 11 Persuaded (Feeling deeply persuaded) l. 19 . And (— and) l. 19-20 , hour ... hour, (o. c.) l. 20 side, (o. c.) l. 22 terror, (o. c.) l. 22 and ... fell (and fell like) l. 24 thus, (o. c.) page 29 l. 14 me — (,) l. 15 ; not (,) l. 15 perplexing (mystical) l. 33 this, (o. c.) l. 34 upbraid; (—) page 30 l. 14 bed-side (side) after l. 19 insert: — [page 322:] As I came she was murmuring, in a low undertone, which trembled with fervor, the words of a Catholic hymn.

[Here hymn follows. Its form is the same as Southern Literary Messenger above, with these variations: — I. 3 and (, and) , love (love,) IV. 2 and (, and).]

l. 20 she ... approached; (, said Morella,) l. 22 ah! (!) l. 23 daughters (daughter's) l. 24 kissed ... forehead (turned towards her) l. 24 continued: (.)1. 25 , yet ( —) after l. 25 insert: — Therefore for me, Morella, thy wife, hath the charnel-house no terrors — mark me! — not even the terrors of the worm. The days have never been when thou couldst love me; but her whom in life thou didst abhor, in death thou shalt adore.” omit l. 25- 29 l. 32 thou ... feel (you felt) page 31 1- 17 the (o.) l. 19 fervant (fervant and intense) l. 22 darkened (overcast) page 32 l. 9 and (and,) l. 9 my (my old ancestral) l. 32 lustra (lustrums) l. 32-33 and, as yet, (but) page 33 l. 4 daughter; — (—) l. 5 Indeed, (o. c.) l. 7 save (but) l. 15 lips, (—) l. 17 , then, (o. c.) l. 19 lAjas (, was) l. 23 whispered (shrieked) l. 26 as (as,) l. 30-32 , fell ... brain, (— like a knell of death — horrible, horrible death — sank the eternal sounds within my soul.) l. 34 Nor (Now) page 34 l. 4 and (and,) l. 4 the (, the) l. 5 me, (o. c).

Variations of Griswold from the text.

Accents in motto supplied by Ed. Page 27 l. 17 became (because) page 28 l. 14 [poring] (pouring) l. 34 of the (of) page 29 l. 13-14 forever (for ever) page 31 l. 14 and (o.) l. 24 indeed (, indeed,) page 32 l. 34 child (child,) l. 34 love, (o. c.) page 33 l. 6 the (, the) l. 7 save (, save).

The Broadway Journal readings fount (page 33 l. 12) and pouring and poured (page 28 l. 14 and page 32 l. 14) have been altered to font, poring and pored, following the spelling in the earlier state of the text.