Raven Redux
Recycled for Halloween 2012
One of my all-time favorite poems is Poe’s The Raven, but let’s face it, at 1086 words it is way too long. In today’s frenetic world, who has the time to read such things. So, in the interest of making it more accessible to the schedule-impaired, and with all due respect to the original, I have undertaken a slight edit. Here is my 68 word version of the classic.
Lonely dude about to snore
Hears a knock upon his door
What is there? A talking bird!
All it knows is one damn word
Conversation is a bore
All it says is “nevermore”
Asks about his long lost flame
Lenore, the lovely lady’s name
Bird provides no help at all
“Nevermore,” it’s single call
Lonely dude goes raving mad
Bird just sits there. Bird is bad
Linked to One Shot Wednesday.
LOL Great flow and precision to your stanzas. Also appreciate the laugh. Thanks
Poe would definitely have enjoyed it! Thumbs up to you dude! The first lightening poem I read after a lot of sad verses (including mine).
ha. so he writes a poem about it that will be read for centuries…smiles.
Great reworking of the original. Nice rhyming and synopsis. I couldn’t help but laugh at the humour injected as well. Nice one.
Well ‘edited’! excellent
Tongue, meet cheek. Very clever stuff.
Will you do Whitman’s “Song of Myself” next?
Wonderful stuff!
the beast demands
oml ~ that is the best, as I love Poe, but hello, so wordy! Way to update it for us digital readers of 2011..
That was hilarious. Thanks for the very welcome laughs!
Great rhyme and interesting twist.. I liked it.
Oh yes Raven is also my enjoyable reads…
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com/2011/03/whispers-seed-and-senseless-living.html
At Twitter @VerseEveryDay
Oh never mow this would be a blow to Poe if he were to ever know. Sorry.. could not resist..
Cool dude! Bird rude! Thanks for the laughs will be visiting again.
Love Love the first line. I Knew from then on this would be a great entry. Love your blog name too.
How cute is this.
Hahahah, that made me laugh out loud! Loved the rhyming as well and the simplistic language used
Gave me a laugh this morning. Thanks!
Thanks for the laugh!
Pamela
Fun, and I don’t care much for Poe. Reminds me of ShrinkLits.
LOL. Absolutely wonderful and lots of fun. Bad bird. Great job!
Too funny! Love that bad bird.
Ha! I will share this with the teachers at my school who teach Poe. They will love it,
That was fun! Loved it!
Haha. Terrific. Gosh, I needed a laugh. : )
I LOVE this… great ending!
Good fun.
This has to be the best thing I’ve read since…well, since The Raven (original). Absolutely love it, love it.
That laughter made the whole blooming exercise worthwhile. Thank you. Succinct is a great motto for a poet.
I nearly snorted my coffee! Poe would be turning in his grave evermore! and may even emerge in the form of a raven to sing the ditty! I totally love what you’ve created, but of course as a note to the original.
oh that’s funny. Bird is bad! Raven always seem have a bit of badness in them
I like this! Great fun. Loved the last line.
This was so funny – so clever – great use of the tools. I loved the twist you put on that “bad bird.”
I’ve already posted here about your hilarious poem. But I wanted to stop by and congratulate you. You’ve scored once again with another Honorable Mention, this time in my second Limerick of the Week contest. Congratulations, and thanks for your delightful limerick.
As a long time fan of Poe, his themes more than his rhymes, I must say this: I adored it.
Great one!
i dont think poe would have been tickled by your poem but it is hilarious!
I’d choose this over the original any day! LOL
I don’t know Poe’s Raven, but I enjoyed your poem, it made me ‘smile.’ ; )
Haha, this was absolutely amazing! Not only was your usage of modern words funny in the context, but it is admittedly a very accurate and succinct summary of the…what, 1086 words?
Hope you have a great Halloween…haha I’m still laughing.
~fireandice
Reblogged this on Welcome to Reality and commented:
Hilarious, succinct redux of ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allen Poe.
very rare but powerful perspective.
Lol very funny, it’s perfectfor Halloween.