The Blue Poetry Book / 7th. Ed. :: THE HAUNTED PALACE

THE HAUNTED PALACE

I In the greenest of our valleys, By good angels tenanted, Once a fair and stately palace, Radiant palace, reared its head. In the monarch Thought’s dominion, It stood there; Never seraph spread a pinion Over fabric half so fair!

II Banners—yellow, glorious, golden— On its roof did float and flow (This, all this, was in the olden Time, long ago); And every gentle air that dallied, In that sweet day, Along the ramparts plumed and pallid, A wingÈd odour went away.

III Wanderers in that happy valley, Through two luminous windows saw Spirits moving musically, To a lute’s well-tunÈd law, Round about a throne where, sitting (Porphyrogene!) In state his glory well befitting, The ruler of the realm was seen.

IV And all with pearl and ruby glowing Was the fair palace-door, Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing, And sparkling evermore, A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty Was but to sing, In voices of surpassing beauty, The wit and wisdom of their king.

V But evil things, in robes of sorrow, Assailed the monarch’s high estate. (Ah, let us mourn!—for never morrow Shall dawn upon him desolate;) And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed, Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.

VI And travellers now within that valley, Through the red-litten windows see Vast forms, that move fantastically To a discordant melody, While, like a ghastly rapid river, Through the pale door A hideous throng rush out for ever And laugh—but smile no more.

E. A. Poe.

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