They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.

Some writers are capable of creating such a strong sense of tone and imagery that the mere mention of their name — Dickens, Lovecraft, Kafka — instantly conjures up a specific feeling. Edgar Allan Poe was one such writer. His poems and short stories, his tales of mystery and the macabre, are shrouded in dark atmospheres dripping with Gothic wonder. His imagery is often morbid and tinged with madness, but it’s always captivating. This quote comes from the 1842 short story “Eleonora” and explores the notion that those who allow their conscious minds and imaginations to wander can often gain more insights and ideas than those who only dream while asleep. Poe often pondered the concept of dreaming; as he wrote in a celebrated 1849 poem, “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” One of Poe’s great powers was the ability to channel his dreams into such timeless literary works as “The Raven,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “The Fall of the House of Usher.”