The Comic Strip
In a 1955 strip, Pogo is reading a book of poetry aloud to his friends, and a raven, who happens to be a bit of a drama queen, interrupts with a dramatic entrance.
The Parody
The raven, perched on a tree branch, starts quoting lines from Poe's "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…*"
Pogo, ever the peacemaker, interrupts:
"Hold on, you big bird, hold on! What’s the matter with you? Is there some kinda *emergency*?"
The raven, with a dramatic pause, replies:
*"’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more."*
Pogo then responds in a deadpan voice:
"Well, who's at the door? Open it up and let 'em in, you overgrown *chicken*!"
The humor of the parody comes from Pogo's casual, down-to-earth approach to a highly dramatic situation. It highlights the contrast between the somber, brooding atmosphere of Poe's poem and Pogo's lighthearted, everyday world.
This is a playful and humorous take on Poe's work, not a serious imitation, but it does illustrate Kelly's wit and ability to incorporate literary references into his comic strip.