Text: Robert A. Stewart (ed. J. A. Harrison), “Notes to Silence (Siope),” The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Vol. II: Tales - part 01 (1902), 2:380-382

[page 380:]

The text follows the Broadway Journal. Griswold shows no verbal variation from the text.

1840 was slightly revised from “The Baltimore Book.” The next revision shows one whole sentence omitted, and some other minor variations.

[The Baltimore Book | edited by W. H. Carpenter & T. S. Arthur | Baltimore | Bayley & Bums | 1839.]

Variations of the Baltimore Book from the text.

[Siope — A Fable (In the manner of the Psychological Autobiographists) by E. A. Poe.]

Motto: — Ours is a world of words: Quiet we call Silence — which is the merest word of all Al Aaraaf .

Page 220 l. 2 after “head.” insert: — “There is a spot upon this accursed earth which thou hast never yet beheld. And if by any chance thou bast beheld it, it must have been in one of those vigorous dreams which come like the Simoom upon the brain of the sleeper who hath lain down to sleep among the forbidden sunbeams — among the sunbeams, I say, which slide from off the solemn columns of the melancholy temples in the wilderness. l. 2 “The (The) l. 4 Zaire (o. a.) l. 6 hue; (—) l. 12 and (o.) page 221 l. 13 gray (grey) l. 17 Zäire (o. a.) l. 25 gray (grey) l. 26 lighted (litten) l. 27 gray (grey) l. 32 them (the characters) page 222 l. 1 characters; — (.) l. 4 rock; (,) l. 10 deity (cap.) After par. II. insert: — And the moon shone upon his face, and upon the features of his face, and oh! they were more beautiful than the airy dreams which hovered about the souls of the daughters of Delos. l. 20 primeval (primoeval) l. 24 solitude; — (—) l. 24 waned, (o. c.) l. 27 Zäire [page 381:] (o. a.) l. 30 to (of) l. 33 solitude; — (— ) page 223 l. 9 solitude; — (—) l. 13 before, (o. c.) l. 19 rolled (rolled,) l. 20-22 And ... man. (o.) l. 22 solitude; — (—) l. 25 silence (n. i.) l. 27 accursed, (o, c.) l. 28 up (in) page 224 l. 3 changed; — (—) l. 7 rock (rock,) l. 10-11 off, in haste, (off, and) l. 11 so that (and) l. 16 sea (cap.) l. 19 Sybils (s. l.).

Variations of 1840 from the text.

Siope. A Fable, (In the manner of the Psychological Autobiographists.)

No translation to motto. Page 220 1, 2 head, (head. “There is a spot upon this accursed earth which thou hast never yet beheld. And if by any chance thou hast beheld it, it must have been in one of those vigorous dreams which come like the simoon upon the brain of the sleeper who hath lain down to sleep among the forbidden sunbeams — among the sunbeams, I say, which slide from off the solemn columns of the melancholy temples in the wilderness.) l. 2 “The (The) l. 4 Zäire (o. a.) l. 6 hue; (—) l. 17 Zäire (o. a.) l. 26 lighted (litten) l. 32 them (the characters) page 222 l. 1 ; — and the characters (And ... the characters) l. 4 rock; (,) l. 24 waned, (o. c) l. 27 Zäire (o. a.) l. 33 ; — but (—) page 223 l. 9 ; — but (—) l. 9 solitude; — (—) l. 13 where, before, (o. c.) l. 19 rolled — (, —) l. 22 solitude; (—) l. 28 its (in its) l. 28 , and (o. c) l. 29 to (up the) page 224 l. 3 ; — and (—) l. 6 , and (o. c.) l. 11 , in paste, (o.) l. 11 so that (and) l. 19 Sybils (sybils) l. 22 demon (cap.).

Variations of Griswold from text.

Accents in motto supplied by Ed. Page 220 l. 6 onwards (onward) page 223 l. 13 where (, where) l. 16 over-ruled (o. h.) page 224 l. 21 Demon (s. l.). [page 382:]

Variations of the Griswold MS, fragment of “Silence” from the text.

The MS. begins: — “ ... forest, and up higher at the rustling Heaven, and into the crimson moon” which corresponds to the text page 222 l. 20-21 “trees, and up higher at the rustling heaven, and unto the crimson moon.”

Page 222 l. 22 lilies, (o. c.) l. 22 and (and I) l. 24 solitude; — (—) l. 24 , and (o. c.) [Quotation marks do not occur in the MS.] l. 26 heaven (cap.) l. 27 Zäire (o. a.) l. 27 , and (o. c.) l. 30 lilies, (o. c.) l. 32 and (, and I) l. 33 solitude; — (—) page 223 l. 2-4 , and . ... And (. And) l. 5 call, (o. c.) l. 5 , with ... behemoth, (o. c.) l. 9 solitude; — (— ”) l. 11-12 with ... ; and (, and) l. 12 heaven (cap.) l. 13 , before, (o. c.) l. 14 heaven (cap.) l. 1 8 forest (trees) l. 19-20 and ... fell (and the lightning flashed — and the thunder fell) l. 20 foundation (foundations) l. 21 and (, and) l. 22 in (within) l. 22 solitude; (—) l. 23 and (, and) l. 24 , with (o, c.) l. 24-25 the ... silence, (a silent curse) l. 26 heaven (cap.) l. 27 , and (o. c.) l. 28 up (in) l. 29 to heaven (up the Heaven) page 224 l. 3 changed; — (changed) l. 5 man, (—) l. 6 , hurriedly, (o.) l. 7 and (— and) l. 11 , in ... beheld (— and I saw) l. 11 omit asterisks l. 1 2 Magi — (Magi) l. 13 bound, (o. c.) l. 15-16 sea (cap.) l. 16 earth (cap.) l. 17 heaven (cap.) l. 18 ; and (and) l. 20 , as (o. c.) l. 20 , that (o. c.) l. 21 demon (cap.) l. 21 me (me,) l. 22 tomb, (old tomb at Balbec,) l. 22 all! (.) l. 23 , be (o. c.) l. 25 could (tried, but could) l. 25 Demon, (—) l. 27 forever in (in the cavern by) l. 27 tomb, (o. c.) l. 28 therefrom (from his lair) l. 28-29 and ... looked (and lying down at the feet of the Demon looked).