∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
Title: ISRAFEL.*
Rule: ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Line-01-001 IN Heaven a spirit doth dwell
Line-01-002 [[indent]] “Whose heart-strings are a lute;”
Line-01-003 None sing so wildly well
Line-01-004 As the angel Israfel,
Line-01-005 And the giddy stars (so legends tell)
Line-01-006 Ceasing their hymns, attend the spell
Line-01-007 [[indent]] Of his voice, all mute.
Line-01-008 Tottering above
Line-01-009 [[indent]] In her highest noon,
Line-01-010 [[indent]] The enamoured moon
Line-01-011 Blushes with love,
Line-01-012 [[indent]] While, to listen, the red levin
Line-01-013 [[indent]] (With the rapid Pleiads, even,
Line-01-014 [[indent]] Which were seven,)
Line-01-015 [[indent]] Pauses in Heaven.
Line-01-016 And they say (the starry choir
Line-01-017 [[indent]] And the other listening things)
Line-01-018 That Israfeli's fire
Line-01-019 Is owing to that lyre
Line-01-020 [[indent]] By which he sits and sings —
Line-01-021 The trembling living wire
Line-01-022 Of those unusual strings. [page 17:]
Line-01-023 But the skies that angel trod,
Line-01-024 [[indent]] Where deep thoughts are a duty —
Line-01-025 Where Love's a {{1845-01: grown up //1849-02: grown-up }} God —
Line-01-026 [[indent]] Where the Houri glances are
Line-01-027 Imbued with all the beauty
Line-01-028 [[indent]] Which we worship in a star.
Line-01-029 Therefore, thou art not wrong,
Line-01-030 [[indent]] Israfeli, who despisest
Line-01-031 An unimpassioned song;
Line-01-032 To thee the laurels belong,
Line-01-033 [[indent]] Best bard, because the wisest!
Line-01-034 Merrily live, and long!
Line-01-035 The ecstasies above
Line-01-036 [[indent]] With thy burning measures suit —
Line-01-037 Thy grief, thy joy, thy hate, thy love,
Line-01-038 [[indent]] With the fervour of thy lute —
Line-01-039 [[indent]] Well may the stars be mute!
Line-01-040 Yes, Heaven is thine; but this
Line-01-041 [[indent]] Is a world of sweets and sours;
Line-01-042 [[indent]] Our flowers are merely — flowers,
Line-01-043 And the shadow of thy perfect bliss
Line-01-044 [[indent]] Is the sunshine of ours.
Line-01-045 If I could dwell
Line-01-046 Where Israfel
Line-01-047 [[indent]] Hath dwelt, and he where I,
Line-01-048 He might not sing so wildly well
Line-01-049 [[indent]] A mortal melody,
Line-01-050 While a bolder note than this might swell
Line-01-051 [[indent]] From my lyre within the sky.
[The following footnote appears at the bottom of page 16:]
*And the angel Israfel, whose heart-strings are a lute, and who has the sweetest voice of all God's creatures. — KORAN.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
[[Alternate presentation giving the text as originally printed, with indications for Poe's changes]]
~~~~~~~~~~~
IN Heaven a spirit doth dwell
“Whose heart-strings are a lute;”
None sing so wildly well
As the angel Israfel,
And the giddy stars (so legends tell)
Ceasing their hymns, attend the spell
Of his voice, all mute.
Tottering above
In her highest noon,
The enamoured moon
Blushes with love,
While, to listen, the red levin
(With the rapid Pleiads, even,
Which were seven,)
Pauses in Heaven.
And they say (the starry choir
And the other listening things)
That Israfeli's fire
Is owing to that lyre
By which he sits and sings —
The trembling living wire
Of those unusual strings. [page 17:]
But the skies that angel trod,
Where deep thoughts are a duty —
Where Love's a grown<^>up God — <->
Where the Houri glances are
Imbued with all the beauty
Which we worship in a star.
Therefore, thou art not wrong,
Israfeli, who despisest
An unimpassioned song;
To thee the laurels belong,
Best bard, because the wisest!
Merrily live, and long!
The ecstasies above
With thy burning measures suit —
Thy grief, thy joy, thy hate, thy love,
With the fervour of thy lute —
Well may the stars be mute!
Yes, Heaven is thine; but this
Is a world of sweets and sours;
Our flowers are merely — flowers,
And the shadow of thy perfect bliss
Is the sunshine of ours.
If I could dwell
Where Israfel
Hath dwelt, and he where I,
He might not sing so wildly well
A mortal melody,
While a bolder note than this might swell
From my lyre within the sky.
[The following footnote appears at the bottom of page 16:]
*And the angel Israfel, whose heart-strings are a lute, and who has the sweetest voice of all God's creatures. — KORAN.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
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.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
[S:0 - comparative] - Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - Works - Poems - Israfel (Study Text - RAOP-JLG)