FORWARD

I feel inclined to write up an summary of what is to follow. It was initially written as a 500 word short story as a fill in page of content for my comic Raven Nevermore #1. It was intended as a “bridge piece” establishing a proper homage to the comic’s obvious inspiration: Edgar Allan Poe’s masterful poem, “The Raven”. The content of the piece wasn’t overtly IN the actual comic but it was definitely floating in my subconscious as the pre-framework that structured the actual 8-issue origin story for its protagonist, Corvan Moore.

The short story was written in a day and then a concept struck me: Why not doing it as an alternate story expansion directly inspired by Poe’s poem? And I meant in every way possible.

What followed was about 3 hours of breaking down “The Raven” into syllable patterns, rhyming sequences, sound repetition and so on. When I thought I had it all, I’d find another structural component in “The Raven” that sent me back to re-work what I’d already written. An example is Poe’s use of the double-syllable equal-sound rhyme schemes, not just single-syllable or definitely not near-rhymes; this proved to be the most difficult thing to work around. Some style elements I picked up on were things like the punctuation Poe ends lines with, or how quotation text NEVER gets quoted at the start of a line, or soft sound repetition with “s” sounds and hard sound repetition with “k” sounds (examples).

That all said, about 24 hours of work across two days, I completed a 9 stanza original “mimic” piece. I won’t claim being anything NEAR the master Poe was as his poem still has many subtle intricacies I’m in no position to become aware of easily (and under pressure to see this done sooner than later). An example of these subtle choices on his end concern his line syllables. I worked out the AVERAGE beats and stuck to it rigidly (16, 15, 16, 15, 15, 7); trust me when I say that over “The Raven’s” 18 stanzas this pattern was PRETTY darn consistent. One at one point did this pattern change to (16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 7) and it blew my mind when it did. Yes, something THAT simple blew my mind. There’s a new level of experience you get out of great pieces of poetry after reading it over a hundred times in the last few weeks (probably close to 50 times in the last 2 days alone).

Anyways, I’m not a poetry analyst, so I apologize that I don’t have the right terms to use concerning its structure. The above is a common man’s geek-out commentary. Onward to the “final draft” of my homage that stands in a quite an important addition to the Raven Nevermore experience now.

Read the Original: Edgar Allan Poe’s, “The Raven”, on Project Gutenerg

FOR EVERMORE

Once upon a time forgotten, lived a scholar misbegotten;
A simple recluse self-absorbed, brooding over books of lore.
In distant lands now forgotten, fraught with chill the fog had brought in,
Heart-broken, forever caught in memories of his Lenore–
To hear her voice, soft and splendid, the voice of his lost Lenore–
To hear speak, and nothing more.

How obsessed this man had become, fearing failure should he succumb
To step on Charon’s boat and leave forlorn souls on misty shore.
Never, said he, “I shall prevail! Do you hear me beyond the Veil?
Bird of shadows, of night’s travail! Totem spirit, I implore–
Raven, send me an avatar; I shan’t fail you, I implore!”
Then silence, and nothing more.

With the proper dedication, and sigils of evocation,
The scholar on his knees did scrawl, a spiral upon the floor;
Ancient phrases he did mumble, raven feathers he did crumble,
To summon bowed low and humble, this ominous bird of yore–
I forfeit food and sleep, said he, “come, ominous bird or yore!”
Then stillness, and nothing more.

His fealty did not falter, his position did not alter;
A sacrifice to establish, with the Totem, a rapport.
Open was his Tome of Raven–death no longer left him craven,
Summon circle made this maven–glyph and soul, a planar door–
Three days and nights ajar, said he, “this body: a planar door–
For the bird named, ‘Nevermore.’”

With these final words, he waited, patient for what he was fated,
Watching the walls, floor, and ceiling of his chamber become no more.
In that short moment, half-dreaming, a raven cawed, thus redeeming,
His deep emotions came streaming from out his bossom for Lenore–
I wish to be your host, said he, “take me to my lost love Lenore!”
Quoth the raven, “Nevermore”.

The scholar stood, lost and confused, for he no ill-intention used–
Why then, Seed of Raven, said he, “echo your name and ignore
The simple request I stated–ancient texts I translated,
All carefully contemplated, all to reach this misty shore!–
To reach the Otherworld border; this Plutonian Shore!–
Take me as host, Nevermore!”

Down flew the raven so vainly, to strut on land so ungainly,
To discuss an agreement for a proposition it bore.
Words it whispered, smooth and sleek all, sealed with the fowl’s fiery call,
Never would the scholar recall the pact made and price in store–
For Lenore, said he, “I’ll accept whatever price is in store–
I’ll be bound to Nevermore.”

Then the Otherworld did shutter, when avatar wings did flutter
As the bird shifted to shadow–to merge with the scholar’s core.
Newly awakened, confounded, finding himself now surrounded
In burnt fields where dead abounded; he thought of his love Lenore–
The Raven Tome still held tightly; he’d now find his love Lenore–
He was bound to Nevermore.

The scholar stared ahead gawking, at a gypsy maiden walking
Past corpses as she looted with eyes on Raven Tome of lore.
He marvelled at her revival–at his lost love’s survival.
I’ve been waiting your arrival, said she, “I’m Bodva Le’Noir.”
Here my love was, Lost One no more–to love my reborn Lenore–
Happily for evermore.