[Tex/LaTex] Stanza breaks with verse package

Question

I am trying to enforce stanza breaks via a blank line as explained in the verse package documentation.

Stanza breaks do not seem to eventuate with this MWE:

\documentclass{memoir}
\usepackage{verse}
\begin{document}
\settowidth{\versewidth}{Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;}
\begin{verse}[\versewidth]
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\textemdash\\
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door\textemdash\\
\vin Perched, and sat, and nothing more.\\

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\textemdash\\
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!''\\
\vin Quoth the Raven, ``Nevermore.''\\
\end{verse}
\end{document}

If instead I insert a \medskip in place of a blank line, I get a stanza break.

I think the verse package authors intended a break with a plain blank line.

Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong please?

Answer 1

Don't end the stanza with \\, then it works:

\documentclass{memoir}
\usepackage{verse}
\begin{document}
\settowidth{\versewidth}{Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;}
\begin{verse}[\versewidth]
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\textemdash\\
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door\textemdash\\
\vin Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

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\textemdash\\
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!''\\
\vin Quoth the Raven, ``Nevermore.''
\end{verse}
\end{document}