The Haunted Palace

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1. In the greenest of our valleys
2. By good angels tenanted,
3. Once a fair and stately palace--
4. Radiant palace--reared its head.
5. In the monarch Thought's dominion--
6. It stood there!
7. Never seraph spread a pinion
8. Over fabric half so fair!
9.  
10. Banners yellow, glorious, golden,
11. On its roof did float and flow,
12. (This--all this--was in the olden
13. Time long ago),
14. And every gentle air that dallied,
15. In that sweet day,
16. Along the ramparts plumed and pallid,
17. A winged odor went away.
18.  
19. Wanderers in that happy valley,
20. Through two luminous windows, saw
21. Spirits moving musically,
22. To a lute's well-tunëd law,
23. Bound about a throne where, sitting
24. (Porphyrogene!)
25. In state his glory well befitting,
26. The ruler of the realm was seen.
27.  
28. And all with pearl and ruby glowing
29. Was the fair palace door,
30. Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,
31. And sparkling evermore,
32. A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty
33. Was but to sing,
34. In voices of surpassing beauty,
35. The wit and wisdom of their king.
36.  
37. But evil things, in robes of sorrow,
38. Assailed the monarch's high estate.
39. (Ah, let us mourn!--for never morrow
40. Shall dawn upon him desolate !)
41. And round about his home the glory
42. That blushed and bloomed,
43. Is but a dim-remembered story
44. Of the old time entombed.
45.  
46. And travellers, now, within that valley,
47. Through the red-litten windows see
48. Vast forms, that move fantastically
49. To a discordant melody,
50. While, like a ghastly rapid river,
51. Through the pale door
52. A hideous throng rush out forever
53. And laugh--but smile no more.
54.  
55. 1838.
56.  
57. * * * * *