Final answer:
The first epigraph in the poem is from Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' and it says, "This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper."
Step-by-step explanation:
The first epigraph in the poem is "This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper." This quote is from Joseph Conrad's novel 'Heart of Darkness'.