Eternal Darkness and literature

[Angrist]

In the latest movie I noticed the name of Edgar Allan Poe.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering... fearing... doubting...'

Two weeks ago I had to learn about that writer (and others) for a test. This is some info on him:

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)
Edgar Allan Poe's horror stories have become famous, but he also wrote poetry, a novel and criticism. In many of his writings he showed deep psychological insight, as will become clear in the following story (and I'm not going to type out the whole story:eek:). Poe is also the inventor of the detective genre with his stories 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' and 'The Purloined Letter'.

And the following story was 'The Tell-Tale Heart', a very good short story.

I'm not sure if that quote in the movie is from that story, but it sounds familiar to me...




My point is: this game is different from others. Remember the Latin??? :):)

[Xantar]

Originally posted by Angrist

My point is: this game is different from others. Remember the Latin??? :):)

Why yes, I do.

Click here to read some translations I did from Eternal Darkness artwork. (http://shadow.ds98.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=001234)

What? A shameless plug? No, I only do that for my fanfics. This work of mine actually has something to do with the topic at hand. :sneaky:

[The_Dunadan]

i've read the tell-tale heart, the raven, and the gold bug. *looks around* *jumps in box*

[thatmariolover]

Hey Xantar

Wanna translate this?

http://www.siliconknights.com/current/images/wallpaper/pages_1024.jpg (Big)

http://www.siliconknights.com/current/images/wallpaper/pages_800.jpg (Smaller)

Maybe it doesn't matter to you, but I thought it might give all of us a little more info.

[GameKinG]

It is from The Tell Tale Heart as he waits to see if the old man notices he has a "visitor"

[thatmariolover]

Originally posted by GameKinG
It is from The Tell Tale Heart as he waits to see if the old man notices he has a "visitor"

Actually it's from 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 visitor," 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, undercertain 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 is it 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 mortal 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, somewhat 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 this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the contenance 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, siting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his 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 fancy 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 word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting -
"Get three back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath 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 sseming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!

[Xantar]

Eh, thatmariolover...

The page in that picture is exactly what I translated a little further down in the N-sider topic.

I actually have some thoughts on my own translations, but I'll post them sometime later.

[thehtownpoption]

The Raven: what a great poem. The whole things just rolls off the tongue, and if you read it outloud to yourself you can tell just by the automatic change in tempo of your speech when there is supposed to be more emotion. For me anyway... :)

I've never really looked for meaning before in The Raven, though I'm kind of interested now.

[Angrist]

Wasn't there more stuff?? Stuff from other writers?? :confused:

Anyway, I was surprised to see you actually KNOW EDgar Allan Poe! Most people don't know their own country's literature...

[Ridley]

Heh, I've known about Poe since I was very young because of the first Simpsons Treehouse of Horrors :D. And some people say The Simpsons isn't refined entertainment ;).

Homer (loud, angry voice) : "Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"

James Earl Jones : "Quoth the Raven"

Bart (as a Raven) : "Nevermore."

Homer (annoyed, mumbling voice) : "Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"

James Earl Jones : "Quoth the Raven"

Bart (as a Raven) : "Nevermore."

Homer : "Why you little!"

*leaps at Raven*

Bart (as a Raven) : "Uh oh!"

The Raven is one of my favorites from Treehouse of Horrors actually :D.

I did read The Raven one night though, not sure why. I guess I just felt like it. Good poem though :unsure:.

[thatmariolover]

Originally posted by Angrist
Wasn't there more stuff?? Stuff from other writers?? :confused:

Anyway, I was surprised to see you actually KNOW EDgar Allan Poe! Most people don't know their own country's literature...

The storyline itself has been strongly influenced by the likes of Edgar Allen Poe, Alfred Hitchcock, William Shakespeare, and other famous writers. This explains why the game's main focus is on story, not on character development (however, there is still character development).

[Angrist]

Shakespeare, I guess that's what I meant. :)