Ms. Beanie has decided that she’s going to enter her elementary school talent show this year. She’s further decided that her performance will be an unabridged recitation of Poe’s The Raven. Yeah, I know; I’m pretty sure that some of my geekiness either rubbed off on her or has some sort of genetic component. I assure you, though, that she came up with this idea ALL on her own; I had nothing to do with it, I swear.
I’m not really sure what possessed her (sorry – couldn’t resist!) to undertake this project, but I do have to tell you that it’s ADORABLE to see my little nine-year-old spouting what she’s memorized so far – the first five stanzas – of Poe’s creepy missive. Beanie still says “renember” instead of “remember,” which makes the “Ah, distinctly I remember” line undeniably cute.
She’s memorizing a stanza every few days, and we practice in the shower and the car and while we wait for the bus, so I’m learning right along with her. At the rate she’s going, she should have the whole thing knocked by the time the talent show comes around. I’m going to try to figure out how to post an audio file of her performance in June. Watch this space.
Here’s a link to a video of the Simpson’s Tree House of Terror episode where the incomparable James Earl Jones recites a shortened version of the poem. The clip has been taken off of YouTube (no doubt in one of those lawyer-sweeps that Bo talked about the other day), so I can’t embed this clip. Go and take a look – it’s worth it.
I will definitely watch this space. I am quite sure it will be a performance that will be worth the wait!
In somewhat related news, John Astin did a performance as Edgar Allan Poe at our local creative arts center. It was a phenomenal performance.
I love The Raven. My uncle was the voice of public TV where I grew up. He had a very deep, clear voice. As children, he would have our absolute hushed attention as he would recite The Raven for us, usually in the dark. Ah, good times.
Oh, i would love to hear it!
Poe scares the shit out of me. I sit down to reflect on a work of his and then eventually wish I hadn’t. It’s like that guy got underneath fear.
Best to Beanie. Kudos to her for doing something unambiguously culturally significant.
Have you heard Christopher Walken’s rendition?
http://www.ojai.net/swanson/theraven.htm
There’s a geocache at his grave or memorial or some historical marker or something somewhere in Baltimore. wooooo.
And, walken scares the hell out of me.
Did Poe write the Pit and the Pendulum? ’cause that one freaks me out completely. I guess I could gooble that.
Ms., I will find a way, come hell or high water, to post SOMETHING of her performance.
Seester, it’s really all about the voice. Her sweet little-girl voice sucks almost ALL the scary out, but I still love that she’s doing it.
Meno, I promise; I’ll figure out some way of getting it to you all.
Bo, you’ve hit it – he DID get underneath scary. I think he did that by only saying just enough and letting us fill in the rest ourselves. Ruminating on the implications is where all the scary comes from, I think.
You wanna know the CRAZY part? We were sitting around the in-laws’ table the other night when Bean announced her plan. Incredulous, my MIL asked her if she understood the poem, and my Bean went off on a very lucid and complete analysis of the poem, even going so far as to say that the reason “nevermore” freaks the narrator out is that he believes the raven is telling him that there is no heaven. I think my sides split from pride.
No, CV, I’ve not heard that yet – I’ll go listen now…
Seester, I’m with you – Walken is creepy all on his own. Poe DID write the Pit and the Pendulum. Also, the Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, and the Cask of Amontillado, and every last one of them is scary in its own twisted way. *Shudder!*
yes please..post what you can!
I love the Simpson’s clip–I often use it when I’m teaching a section on poetry.
I cannot wait to hear Beanie’s rendition. You realize of course, that this sets her up for ALL kinds of literary fun for her future. A little English major in the making.
Poe contains so much beautifully terrifying imagery; I’m with Bo – he got underneath fear and made it that much more visceral.
Wow what a dark and (midnight) dreary piece. I too would love hear her performance.
It will definitely keep the other kids from napping, as she goes rapping on the school room floor.
Nameless here for evermore
I would think that the sweet little girl voice would make it that much freakier.
That child slays me.
I’m with Kizz- the sweet voice would be much creepier. Kids really do love Poe- I think they like that his stuff is so old and so scary!
I think “renember” is a perfect word to describe someone elses memories!