Page 306 - SpringBoard_ELA_Grade7_Flipbook

ACTIvITy 4.5
continued
55 But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. Nothing further then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered— Till I scarcely more than muttered “Other friends have flown before— On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.”
60 Then the bird said “Nevermore.”
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, “Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—
65 Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore Of ‘Never—nevermore.’”
But the Raven still beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door; Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
70 Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore— What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core; 75 This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er, But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer3 80 Swung by Seraphim4 whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
“Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee Respite—respite and nepenthe,5 from thy memories of Lenore;
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”
85 “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!— Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—
On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—
Is there—is there balm in Gilead?6—tell me—tell me, I implore!” 90 Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”
3 censer: a container for burning incense
4 Seraphim: angels
5 nepenthe: a remedy to make one forget grief
6 balm in Gilead: a soothing ointment; Gilead is in Israel
my Notes
GrAmmAr UsAGe
Relative Pronouns
Writers create complex sentences by using relative clauses. A relative clause begins with a relative pronoun (such as who, whose, which, that) and functions as an adjective.
Notice the relative clause beginning “whose fiery eyes ...” in line 74. This relative clause modifies the word owl.
Unit 4
• How We Choose to Act 279
divining: discovering
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