Edgar Allan Poe – The Happiest Day

— — —
“The happiest day — the happiest hour
My sear’d and blighted hert hath known,
The highest hope of pride, and power,
I feel hath flown.…”
— — —

“The Happiest Day” is a poem written by Edgar Allan Poe. It was first published in June or July 1827 as part of the volume Tamerlane and Other Poems. It was originally untitled but was later reprinted, most commonly as “The Happiest Day” but also under the title “The Happiest Day, The Happiest Hour”.

This article features a complete, embedded, mobile-friendly version of “The Happiest Day“ by Edgar Allan Poe as well as a text version below.

The Happiest Day – PDF

A PDF copy of “The Happiest Day” can be downloaded using the menu in the app below.

The Happiest Day – Mobile Friendly

— — —

The Happiest Day
by
Edgar Allan Poe

— — —

The happiest day — the happiest hour
My sear’d and blighted heart hath known,
The highest hope of pride, and power,
I feel hath flown.

Of power! said I? yes! such I ween
But they have vanish’d long alas!
The visions of my youth have been —
But let them pass.

And, pride, what have I now with thee?
Another brow may ev’n inherit
The venom thou hast pour’d on me —
Be still my spirit.

The happiest day — the happiest hour
Mine eyes shall see — have ever seen
The brightest glance of pride and power
I feel — have been:

But were that hope of pride and power
Now offer’d, with the pain
Ev’n then I felt — that brightest hour
I would not live again:

For on its wing was dark alloy
And as it flutter’d — fell [page 34:]
An essence — powerful to destroy
A soul that knew it well.