That's pretty good, Pavelent. I like that you've analyzed what's there, and not what you bring to the song.
Here's some thoughts I've had recently about it (this has me listening to Orchid again, and though I shouldn't need an excuse...)
In solitude I wander....
Through the vast enchanted forest
The surrounding skies are one
Torn apart by the phenomenon of lightning
Rain is pouring down my (now) shivering shoulders
In the rain my tears are forever lost
Okay, not much to add except that there might be a subtle nod to Whitesnake here... whether Mikael meant to or not, knowing that he's a Coverdale fanboy, he may have had in the back of his mind, the lyric : "No one ever sees your tears/ When you're crying in the rain". I'm sure he didn't mean it, but I had to point that out.
Another thing to note is that it's an "enchanted" forest. A place of magic...
The darkened oaks are my only shelter
Red leaves are blown by the wind
An ebony raven now catches my eye
Sitting in calmness
Before spreading his black wings
Reaching for the skies
The oaks are darkened by the storm, of course. But, I like the double-meaning here, that only darkened oaks can provide shelter.
Ravens are portentous birds, no matter how you look at it. In some cultures they are a good omen, in some, bad. I think, given Mikael's tastes, he's going for the darker version. The kind that Poe wrote about, right? It quoth Nevermore. And what was the Raven speaking of? Among other things, a lost love. Death. A chance at reunion with the dearly departed Lenore. I think this may be a sort of intertextual symbol here. Ravens have become harbingers of doom, and betwixt and between life and death. Again, largely thanks to Poe.
In this forest
Where wolves cry their agony unto the moon
My spirit is hidden
In the form of wisdom
carved on a black stone
The only way to follow
A wolf's cry, to me, is one of the great sounds of loneliness and sorrow. It's something I've used to manipulate viewers in film sound design.
I agree that this next part is where the lyrics take a turn. We go beyond setting the stage. It's a great line, but I admit to not really getting it. I almost believe that he's either talking about the epitaph on a gravestone, or some sort of spell etched onto a stone. I'd like to go with the former, because I think it makes more sense. It reminds me of Poe's "Ulalume", actually, now that I think of it.
Open your soul
Redeem, I am immortal
Is this the aforementioned epitaph?
From here on, I don't have much to add to what Pavelent said, except that I think this involves a reunion with a departed loved one.
Incidentally, an apostle is also a messenger, outside of the religious connotation of the word.
Anyone else care to take a stab at this?
