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 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 visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
some late visitor 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.
what is the effect of the last stanza mimicking the first?
what is the effect of the last stanza mimicking the first?
a) the speaker, disturbed from his sleep, is angered at the sudden tapping.
b) the tapping has become more dramatic, but the speaker has grown disinterested.
c) the speaker, while initially upset, is now calm in his approach to the tapping.
d) the tapping, which was seemingly innocent, is now seen as mysterious by the speaker.