The first line of Lord Byron’s poem Darkness reads, “I had a dream, which was not all a dream. The bright sun was extinguish’d.” Imagine, for a moment, looking up into the sky and witnessing the sight Byron describes. It’s difficult to fathom, given the sun’s powerful rays and how much we rely on them to brighten our days and lift our moods. Byron’s inspiration for this poem was a direct response to his surroundings in the summer of 1816, known as “The Year Without a Summer.” Was it as dreadful as it sounds? Indeed, it was.