The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe Puplished January 29, 1845

‘Once upon a midnight dreary, while I ponder, weak and weary’, the first line to  ‘The Raven,' by Edgar Allen Poe. It was, and I think still is, a must read for school children of all grades.  'The Raven' was first published January 29, 1845. It is a story of a man trying to forget his lost love when a raven flies through his window and the man speaks to it. The raven can only answer with one word, ‘nevermore.’ No matter how many questions the man asks, the answer is ‘nevermore.’ It finally drives the man insane.

Edgar Allen Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and published his first book in 1827. In 1830 he attended West Point military academy where he excelled academically but got kicked out a year later for poor performance of duties. Poe, writing full time after leaving the military, published many stories including ‘The Fall of the House of Usher,’’ The Murders in the Rue Morgue’ and in 1845 his most famous, ‘The Raven.'

[Source]