What do the words long I stood indicate?

Answer 1

The phrase "long I stood" means that the speaker stood, thinking or pondering, in one place. This phrase is part of a line from Edgar Allan Poe's 1845 poem The Raven.

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?"

Answer 2

The phrase "long I stood" suggests that the speaker remained in one place for an extended period, emphasizing the duration and possibly the patience or perseverance required. It conveys a sense of time passing and a lingering presence in a particular location.