‘Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary …”

Though Super Bowl XLVII finished close to midnight due to a 30-minute power outage in theSuperdome, these famous words from Edgar Allen Poe’s poem “The Raven” (after which the Baltimore Ravens were named) did not at all reflect the champions’ attitude at game’s end.

After the Ravens sealed their victory over the San Francisco 49ers with a goal-line defensive stop and intentional safety, they did not hesitate to bask in the glory of the moment. Many players hugged and cried, some thanked their adoring fans and others celebrated with confetti angels on the 30-yard line.

And while the team celebrated its unlikely journey to the top that culminated Sunday night in the Big Easy, thousands of screaming fans back in Baltimore massed in Canton Square for an impromptupostgame celebration. Charm City will not soon forget that night, nor will it forget the months of struggle and turmoil that preceded the victory. From personal tragedies to injuries to coaching changes, Poe himself couldn’t have written a more compelling narrative for the team’s season and improbable Super Bowl triumph.

Just four days after the death of former owner Art Modell, the Ravens played their first regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 10. The players took to the field with heavy hearts and small black patches stitched to their jerseys bearing the word “Art.” They routed the Bengals 44-13.

Two short weeks later, the team was confronted again with an unimaginable tragedy when wide receiver Torrey Smith’s younger brother was killed in a motorcycle accident just hours before the Ravens were to face off against their AFC rival New England Patriots. Smith had six receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-30 win.

The next hurdle for Baltimore came in the form of a 31-29 pyrrhic victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 14, as the Ravens managed to scrape out a win at the high price of losing four key defensive players to injuries. Cornerback Lardarius Webb suffered a season-ending ACL tear, cornerback Jimmy Smith left the game with a lower leg injury, defensive tackle Haloti Ngatasprained his MCL and future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis exited the game with a torn triceps.

“Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December …”

A bleak December it was indeed, with the Ravens losing four out of five games in that month to stumble into the playoffs looking nothing like the strong and inspired team they were in the early weeks of the season. The non-believers wrote off Lewis’ career and any chance of the team having postseason success.

And then Ray Lewis held a press conference.

His Jan. 2 retirement announcement breathed new life into the Ravens, and they played, somewhat paradoxically, as if they had nothing to lose. The image of Lewis coming out of the tunnel, dancing his trademark dance and soaking up the fans’ love before his final home game is one that no Baltimore fan could ever forget.

Lewis undoubtedly was a source of inspiration, but the firing of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and subsequent promotion of Jim Caldwell gave the offense a better structure. The pocket protection and timing of playcalling improved, and quarterback Joe Flacco was able to move the drives along more quickly. The first of those three changes was catalyzed by Caldwell’s moving right tackle Kelechi Osemele to left guard, shifting left tackle Michael Oher to the right side and putting the untested Bryant McKinnie in at left tackle. Shifting all these players around before playoffs was a gamble. It paid off.

“Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer …”

Renewed in spirit by Lewis’ return and reinvigorated offensively by Caldwell, the Ravens rolled past the Colts in the wild-card round, 24-9. The next week represented a more daunting task: beating the heavily favored Denver Broncos on the road in the AFC semifinals. Flacco proved his mettle in that game, though, throwing for 331 yards and three touchdowns in the upset. Then, in the AFC Championship, the Ravens were able to avenge last year’s heartbreaking loss to the Patriots. And this time, the game wasn’t decided by a field goal — Baltimore handily dispatched Bill Belichick and Co. 28-13.

The lead-up to the ensuing Super Bowl was so perfect it seemed to have been scripted by the NFL gods. It was about old veterans versus young guns, brother versus brother, legendary defense versus high-powered offense. It was about redemption, comebacks and defying expectations. The Ravens had proved they deserved their spot, but once again sportscasters and analysts alike repeatedly underestimated them. Just like my home city of Baltimore, the Ravens were undervalued and overlooked.

And they embraced it.

The Ravens raced out to a 21-6 lead by halftime, and though the Niners rallied after the power outage, their surge was too little, too late. And the win couldn’t have come in more fitting fashion.

“It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t perfect,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “But it was us.”

Soon enough, everyone will be talking about Flacco’s looming contract, safety Ed Reed’s possible move to the Patriots and the future of breakout rookie running back Bernard Pierce.

But, for now at least, let’s enjoy this moment, watch (and rewatch) the highlights and remember the season when the Ravens fulfilled their destiny.

Laura Wagner is a sophomore in the College. GAME OF CHANGE appears every Tuesday.