Your Monday Night Freaky Literary Crap thread

[WilliamPitt]

"And, doubtless, my going on this whaling voyage, formed part of
the grand programme of Providence that was drawn up a long time
ago. It came in as a sort of brief interlude and solo between
more extensive performances. I take it that this part of the bill
must have run something like this: 'Grand Contested Election for
the Presidency of the United States 'Whaling Voyage by one Ishmael
'Bloody Battle In Affghanistan.'"

- Chapter 1, 'Moby Dick'

[mike_c]

1. that's not correct-- your edition misspelled Afghanistan....

Why can't publisher's proof readers find such obvious typos?

[WilliamPitt]

6. Maybe that's how they spelled it back then

[mike_c]

11. ok, having torn my bookshelves up looking for my copy...

...of MD-- unsuccessfully-- I assumed that you made that last bit up, so my comment should have been appended with </subtle-dry-wit>, but on reflection I think you really mean it.

[Maestro]

2. I Go Along Dreaming Roads

I go along dreaming roads
of the twiling. Golden hills,
green pines,
dust-laden oaks!...
Where can this road lead?
I go along singing, a traveler
along the trail...
-Night is falling now-
"Once I had a heart
the thorn of a passion;
one day I finally drew it out,
now I no longer feel my heart."

Antonio Machado, first stanza of I Go Along Dreaming Roads

Sounds much better in Spanish BTW and not crappy by any means. ;)

[Paragon]

3. Hi.

Call me Ishmael.

[UTUSN]

4. Radical Innocence (W.B. YEATS)

"All hatred driven hence
the soul recovers RADICAL INNOCENCE
and learns at last that it is self-delighting,
self-appeasing, self-affrighting
and that its own sweet will is Heaven's will."

(probably mis-quoted.)

[UTUSN]

5. Uh-oh, I Missed the "Freaky" Stipulation n/t

[Amaya]

7. No, not Moby Dick!

No offense to any Moby Dick fans.
:)

[Maestro]

8. Okay for freaky I like the works of Poe

The Raven

by Edgar Allan Poe

October, 1997 *



THE RAVEN



Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--
Only this and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;--vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow--sorrow for the lost Lenore--
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore--
Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me--filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
"'Tis some visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door--
Some late visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door;
This it is and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"--here I opened wide the door--
Darkness there and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"--
Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping something louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is and this mystery explore--
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;--
'Tis the wind and nothing more.



Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he,
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door--
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door--
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then the ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore--
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning--little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door--
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as "Nevermore."

But the Raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if its soul in that one word he did outpour
Nothing farther 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."
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--
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never--nevermore.'"

But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul 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
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;
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 censer
Swung by Seraphim 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 from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"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?--tell me--tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us--by that God we both adore--
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore--
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Be that our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting--
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul has spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!--quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadows on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted--nevermore!

[LincolnMcGrath]

9. The Dream Of a Ridiculous Man

I am a ridiculous person. Now they call me a madman. That
would be a promotion if it were not that I remain as
ridiculous in their eyes as before. But now I do not resent it,
they are all dear to me now, even when they laugh at me -
and, indeed, it is just then that they are particularly dear to
me. I could join in their laughter - not exactly at myself, but
through affection for them, if I did not feel so sad as I look at
them. Sad because they do not know the truth and I do know
it. Oh, how hard it is to be the only one who knows the
truth! But they won't understand that. No, they won't
understand it.

[MuseRider]

10. This seems appropriate.

"There must have been a point somewhere at the beginning when we could have said no. But somehow we missed it."

Guildenstern from "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" My latest favorite play.

[Amaya]

12. Opening line of the book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like “I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive...” And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about a hundred miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And a voice was screaming: “Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?”

-Hunter S. Thompson

A favorite freaky book of mine.

[bobthedrummer]

13. The following excerpt is from page 124 of Victor Marchetti and John D.

Marks "The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence"

( DELETED )

:eyes: