Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, / Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
These are the opening lines of The Raven, which Poe published in January 1845 and which made him widely famous. In the poem a grieving man is visited at midnight by a raven that answers every question with “Nevermore”.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, / Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
It was many and many a year ago, / In a kingdom by the sea,
Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”
All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women merely players;
Because I could not stop for Death – / He kindly stopped for me –
Break, break, break, / On thy cold gray stones, O Sea! / And I would that my tongue could utter / The thoughts that arise in me.