Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-19
THE DEMON OF THE FIRE.
An Unpublished Poem.


1t is well known that the author OF 9TH
Raven" made, previous to the puolica
ton of ''Tne Bells" in it's completed foru
as now issued in the published works
the poet, a ''study" of bis greatest de
scriptive poem, and printed it in popl
lar magazine long before the work al
pe4red in its present form. IL orlglnall
consisted of but sixteen lines, Whlle tn
revised version was built up to over 10,
The published history OF The Raven
should, it now seems, include the accoun
OF Juvenile poem by Poe. written wne
he was Is years of age, while studen
OF the University of Virginia. Thes
verses, which the author then name
"The Demon o. the Fire." contain oil
vious suggestions OF the Rlliterative wor
painting adopted with powerful effect
"The Raven" and both in their rnythr
and IN the atmosphere OF the supernatu
raj investing them are significantly sul
gestive OF the weird and fateful picture
limned with so mastery a hand in 9Th
Raven" The original copy of tn es
verses was given by Poe to one or hl
Southern companions at the university
The poem has never been published.
THE DEMON OF THE FIRE.
In the deepest death OF midnight,
While the sad and solemn swell
Still was floating family echoed
From the forests chapel bell;
FaintiV. faltering. floating,
Ger the bic waves OF air.
That were through the midnight rolling,
Chafed ana bllowy with the tolling.
In my chamber lay dreaming,
And my dreams were dreams foreshadowec
OF heart foredoomed to care.
AS the last long lingering echo
OF the midnlght's mystic chime,
Lisplng through the aJle blllow
OF the thither shore OF time,
Leaving on the starless silence
Not a shadow or a trace,
In quiverng sigh departed
From my couch. IN fear, started
Started TO my feet in terror
For my dreams phantasmal error
Pain ed in the ftful fire
A frightful, fendish, flaming face.
On the red hearth's reddest centre,
From blazing knot of oak,
Seemed to grin and giDe the phantom,
AS IN terri r | awoke,
And my siumbering eyelIds straining
AS struggled to the floor
Still in that dread vision seeming.
Turned my gaze toward the cleaning
Hearth, and then, o God! / saw 1t,
And from its flaming jaws it
Spot ceAseless. seething Kissing,
Bubbling, gurgllng stream of gore.
Speeches.. struck with stony silence,
FrOZ to the floor | stood,
Till my very brain seemed kissing
With hat his ing, bubbling blood,
Till felt my ife-stream oozing,
Oozing from those lambent lips,
Till the demon seemed TO name me.
Then wondrous calm o'ercame me.
And fell back on my pillow,
In apparent soul eclipse,
Thus. as in deaths seeming shadows,
In thelcy pail of fear,
lay stricken, came hoarse and
Hideous m urmur TO my ear.
Came murmur like the murmur
OF sssa-sins In their sleep,
Muttering, higher, higher, higher,
81 am demon of the fire,
i am arch fend of the fire,
And each blazing roofs my pyre,
And my sweetest incense ls
The blood and tears my victims weep.
"How / revel on the prairie,
How l roar amid he pines,
How laugh as from the village,
Der he snow the red flame shines,
How hear the SHREK or terror,
With life IN every breath,
How / scream with lambert laughter
As hurl each cracking rafter
Down the fell abyss OF fire,
Until high r. higher, higher,
Leap the high priests OF my altar,
In their merry dance Of death.
81 lam monarch OF the fire,
am royal King of death.
World enclrcling with the shadow
OF its doom upon my breath
With the symbol of hereafter
Cleaning from my fatal face
i command the eternal fire.
Higher. higher, hls her, higher,
Leap my mlnistering demons,
Like phanta~ magorIc lemans,
Hugging universal nature
In their hideous embrace"
Then a sombre silence shut me
In her -oemn, shrou0ed sleep,
Ard slum pered like an infant,
In the cradle OF the deep,
Till the bel ~ from the forest
TremOled with the matln stroke:
And the martins from the edge
OF their ichen hidden ledge
bbimmered through the russet arches.
While the.li2ht, IN torn Fl Is marches,
Like a routed army struggling
Through the serried ranks of oak.
Through my open fretted easement
FILTERED ia tremulpus note.
From the tall ana shady linden.
W here the robin swelled hi throat.
Tiny woOer, brave bre ,sted robin,
Quantity calling for his mate
From my lumber. nigHtm re ridden.
With he memory OF mat dire
Demon IN my central lire,
In my e. es interior mirror
Like the shadow of a fate.
But the fendsh fire had smouldered
To white and form ess heap,
Aud no Knot OF OAK was blazing
AS 1t Dlazed upon my sleep.
But on the red hearLh's reddest centre,
Where that demons face had shown,
The shadowy lightning seemed to lnger,
And TO point with spe1tral finger
To Bible, massive, ilden-
On table carved ana olien,
And bowed and said: All power
Is OF God and God alone.'