The+Haunted+Palace

** The Haunted Palace **

//Edgar Allen Poe//

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!

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,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Along the ramparts plumed and pallid,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">A wingèd odor went away.

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Wanderers in that happy valley,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Through two luminous windows, saw

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Spirits moving musically,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">To a lute’s well-tunèd law,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Round about a throne where, sitting

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">(Porphyrogene!)

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">In state his glory well-befitting,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">The ruler of the realm was seen.

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">And all with pearl and ruby glowing

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Was the fair palace door,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">And sparkling evermore,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Was but to sing,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">In voices of surpassing beauty,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">The wit and wisdom of their king.

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">But evil things, in robes of sorrow,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Assailed the monarch’s high estate.

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">(Ah, let us mourn! – for never morrow

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Shall dawn upon him desolate!)

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">And round about his home, the glory

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">That blushed and bloomed

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Is but a dim-remembered story

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Of the old time entombed.

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">And travellers now, within that valley,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Through the red-litten windows see

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Vast forms, that move fantastically

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">To a discordant melody,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">While, like a ghastly rapid river,

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Through the pale door

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">A hideous throng rush out forever

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,serif; vertical-align: baseline;">And laugh – but smile no more.