"Nevermore" v. "Eat My Shorts:" The Simpsons' Take on Poe's "The Raven"

| By Lauren Taglienti |

Author's Note:

In honor of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday that just passed yesterday, January 19, I thought it'd be fitting to take a look at a classic episode of The Simpsons that is so inspired by "The Raven" that Edgar Allan Poe has a credit in the opening credits as one of the writers of the episode, which is Season 2 E3: "Treehouse of Horror." This is the first of a long-standing tradition of Treehouse of Horror episodes, being that there have been 31 to date, one every season since the original. This is not the only time, or the first or last time, that The Simpsons have taken inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe, but I figure why not start with "The Raven" and The Treehouse of Horror that started it all?

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"Quoth the Raven: Eat My Shorts"

"Treehouse of Horror" consists of an overarching frame narrative of Lisa and Bart telling ghost stories with Maggie beside them and Homer eavesdropping outside the treehouse. Lisa tells one story, Bart tells another, and finally we arrive at the third horror story that Lisa begins: The Raven.

Lisa begins to read "The Raven," and a sophisticated-sounding man's voice that is not Homer’s merges with her own and takes over the storytelling. Homer is depicted as the narrator and main character of "The Raven," enacting the poem’s words. He sits in a grand personal library on a chair reading a second volume of “Forgotten Lore” nearly asleep. A freedom that The Simpsons takes here is that a cup sits on a side table beside Homer with the label “Cask of Amontillado” on it, which is a nod to another classic work of Poe. There is also a bust of Edgar Allan Poe that sits atop a shelf above Homer amongst a wall of bookshelves.

Photo via screenshot of "Treehouse of Horror" on Disney+.

"Treehouse of Horror" features an edited version of "The Raven" that is read throughout the vignette, with a narrator reading the parts of the narrator, Homer saying the quotes by the narrator, and Bart Raven saying the parts of the Raven, which are "Nevermore," and "Eat my shorts." Breaking the poem into parts in this way makes it much more easily understandable than simply reading it on the page, as not only is the text separated into different spoken parts, but the tone with which the actors say their parts adds to the interpretation of the poem that this episode offers.

Below is an annotated version of "The Raven," the original text of which I sourced from The Project Gutenberg. The black boldface type indicates part of the text that the episode changes from something to another, text in red indicates text that was skipped and not used in "The Treehouse of Horror," and text in green indicates text that was added. Numbers (1, 2, 3...12) indicate relevant notes, which I have listed below the poem and are not part of the original poem, that provide context of the poem within "Treehouse of Horror."

[The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe]

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.

"'T is some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door—

Only this, and nothing more." 1

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. 2

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

"'T is some visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door

Some late visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door;—

This it is, and nothing more." 3

[20]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. 4

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 darkness 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, some[thing] louder than before."5

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;—

'T is 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. 6

[21]Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance 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, tell me, what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"

Quoth the Raven, "Eat my shorts." 7

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, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing further 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.'"

[22]But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul 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 lamplight gloated o'er,

But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight 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." 8

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."

[23]"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 thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!

D'oh! Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! 9

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."

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore." 10

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 seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamplight 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! 11, 12

Notes, Context Within the Episode, and Important References to Poe:

1. After the first stanza, Bart interrupts by saying that this story isn’t scary, and Lisa tells him that Poe is establishing mood in the first stanza.

2. Ghostly hands emerge from embers to cradle Homer’s head as he sleeps in his chair and is then awoken to mourn Lenore, who is represented by a painting of Marge.

3. Homer is shown cowering in fear under the chair he was sitting in if both the “chamber door” and the “rustling of each purple curtain”

4. Homer opens the door, and nothing is there. The story cuts out of the story of the Raven and back to the frame narrative inside the treehouse, where Bart argues that anything would have been scarier than nothing. Homer sits outside the treehouse eavesdropping to the storytelling occurring inside.

5. The Project Gutenberg has "somewhat," and the narrator in "Treehouse of Horror" says "something."

6. When Homer opens the window, a Raven flies in that holds the resemblance of none other than Bart Simpson, whom I will call Bart Raven. He makes his way over to the chamber door and climbs up onto the bust of Pallas.

7. Instead of “Nevermore,” Bart Raven chimes in, “Eat my shorts,” which is Bart's catchphrase, from the frame narrative treehouse. Lisa foreshadows the rest of the poem when she assures Bart that all the Raven ever says is “Nevermore.”

8. Maggie and Lisa are shown as the "seraphim" referenced in the poem.

9. "D'oh!" is Homer's catchphrase.

10. Homer lunges at Bart Raven and Bart Raven flies away. Homer chases after him, has several little Bart Ravens circling his head repeating “Nevermore, Nevermore,” shakes them away, and continues chasing Bart. In the struggle, Bart Raven pulls several books off the shelf with his beak, one being “The Pit and the Pendulum,” another being “The Tell Tale Heart,” and the final being “The Purloined Letter,” which are all short stories by Edgar Allan Poe.

11. As the narrator says the final “Nevermore,” with each syllable the view of Bart Raven suddenly gets closer and closer. Bart Raven laughs devilishly as his image morphs into that of Bart as he is in the frame narrative treehouse with Lisa.

12. Back in the frame narrative to close the episode, Bart insists that it wasn’t scary, and Lisa says maybe people were easier to scare in 1845. Bart chides Friday the 13th saying that it wasn’t scary either and that he will have no trouble sleeping. Marge calls the kids in to go to bed, and they descend the treehouse calmly as the camera tilts back up to Homer shivering with fear outside the treehouse because he overheard the story while eavesdropping. All three children sleep soundly while Homer begs Marge not to turn the light off. She turns it off, and Homer sees Bart Raven mocking him outside their bedroom window as he flies off a tree. Homer hides under the covers.

Conclusion

As you can see, the writers of The Treehouse of Horror skipped quite a bit of "The Raven" and still kept the main narrative of the narrator's interaction with the rapping at his door, his own emotions, and the Raven. Cutting this text out enabled the writers of The Treehouse of Horror to streamline the narrative to fit within the small vignette segment that it was allotted for this episode, as to have the entire poem recited would take up the space of the frame narrative treehouse scenes that add humor to the episode, the scenes of struggle between the Raven and Homer, and to end the frame narrative. Most of the creative freedoms taken with the poem were taken to serve the purpose of adding humor to the narrative. And what is The Simpsons without some humor?

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Works Cited

Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Raven." The Project Gutenberg,

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/17192/17192-h/17192-h.htm.

"Treehouse of Horror." The Simpsons, Gracie Films and Twentieth Century Fox Television,

1990.

Photo via Pixabay on Pexels