Peering into Darkness

Hey everyone, today’s inspirational quote comes from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.” If you don’t know it, you may want to check it out. It’s creepy and musical and lovely, about how a young man, who, one night while sitting by the fire, hears a raven tapping at his door. When he opens the door and the bird flies in, the bird haunts him, reminding him of his lost love, Lenore. Through the repetition of the word “Nevermore,” the raven eventually drives the narrator mad. He’s tortured not only by his lost love but also by his own mortality.

“The Raven” as Inspiration

I quoted the following lines at the beginning of Song of the Tree Hollow. They are spooky and enticing, capturing the moment of fear and anticipation when we look into a dark void, curious and yet worried, and unable to tame our wild imaginations. The narrator speaks the words at the moment he opens the door but sees nothing, similar to when Vero peeks inside the tree hollow but only sees blackness. That black emptiness catapults her into a new stage of life that’s both frightening and exciting.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before…

–Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven”    

To explore “The Raven” in its entirety, visit the Poetry Foundation here. Have a productive week!

Photo by Tyler Quiring.