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Darkness

February 14, 2025 • George Bartley • Season 3 • Episode 332

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Welcome to Celebrate Poe - Episode 332 - Darkness

The Vampyre and Frankenstein are two liteary works that came out of the literary competition at the Villa Diadati - but another lesser known work is Lord George Gordon Byron’s Darkness. There is a lot of information in this episode - after an introduction, I am going to analyze the poem line by line - and then when you hopefully have more of an idea of what is about, I will read the entire poem without interruption.

Now Lord Byron's poem "Darkness" is a powerful and even apocalyptic vision of a world devoid of light, life, and hope. Written in 1816, it reflects the anxieties of its time, particularly the environmental and social upheavals caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815, which led to the "Year Without a Summer." This analysis will explore the poem's background and content, including a line-by-line breakdown. And let me apologize in advance, the subject matter of Darkness is very powerful, but can come across as a complete downer.

As you know,”Darkness" was composed during a period of global climate anomalies caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia. The volcanic ash in the atmosphere led to dramatic weather changes, crop failures, and widespread famine. This context deeply influenced Byron and his contemporaries, including Mary Shelley and John Polidori, who were part of the famous literary gathering at Lake Geneva in 1816. Byron's poem captures the existential dread and apocalyptic imagination of that era.

The poem deals with some powerful themes. The poem envisions the end of the world, where darkness consumes all light and life. It also explores how humans react to catastrophe—selfishness, violence, and despair dominate. The natural world is portrayed as indifferent to human suffering; even celestial bodies succumb to entropy. The imagery of individuals dying alone or turning against one another underscores profound loneliness. Thrones and palaces burn alongside huts, symbolizing the equalizing force of disaster.

Now Lord Byron employs blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter), which gives the poem a somber and meditative tone. The lack of rhyme mirrors the chaotic and bleak subject matter. His use of vivid imagery—"the bright sun was extinguish'd," "the icy earth swung blind"—creates an immersive sense of desolation.
The poem also features:
Personification: Darkness is depicted as an omnipotent force that overtakes the universe.
Juxtaposition: Contrasts between light and dark, life and death, civilization and savagery emphasize the collapse of order.
Alliteration: Phrases like "blind and blackening" heighten the poem's musicality while reinforcing its grim mood.

Now I would like to first look at the poem - just a few lines at a time. Otherwise, it can be a bit much to take in.

Lines 1-2
"I had a dream, which was not all a dream.
The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars"
The opening line introduces the poem as a dreamlike vision, blurring the boundary between reality and imagination. The phrase "not all a dream" suggests an unsettling sense of truth within the nightmare.
The extinguishing of the sun symbolizes the collapse of natural order and the onset of universal darkness - a condition that definitely applied in the year without a summer.

Lines 3-5
"Did wander darkling in the eternal space,
Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth
Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air;"
The stars "wander darkling," evoking aimlessness and loss of direction in an infinite void. And the earth becomes "icy," "blind," and "blackening," emphasizes lifelessness and chaos. The absence of both sun and moon highlights total cosmic desolation.

Lines 6-8
"Morn came and went—and came, and brought no day,
And men forgot their passions in the dread
Of this their desolation;"
Time loses meaning as morning arrives without light. This creates a surreal, timeless atmosphere. Human emotions like ambition or love are replaced by primal fear—“dread” becomes the dominant force.

Lines 9-11
"And all hearts
Were chill'd into a selfish prayer for light:
And they did live by watchfires—and the thrones,"
The "selfish prayer for light" reflects humanity’s desperation, while civilization and individualism as people rely on watchfires for survival. Thrones and palaces lose their significance in this new reality.

Lines 12-15
"The palaces of crowned kings—the huts,
The habitations of all things which dwell,
Were burnt for beacons; cities were consum’d,
And men were gather'd round their blazing homes"
Both royal palaces and humble huts are burned for warmth and light, symbolizing the equalizing force of catastrophe. Cities are destroyed as people prioritize immediate survival over preservation.

Lines 16-17
"To look once more into each other's face;
Happy were those who dwelt within the eye"
People gather around fires to see one another’s faces— reminder of humanity’s need for connection amid despair.

Lines 18-20
"Of the volcanos, and their mountain-torch:
A fearful hope was all the world contain'd;
Forests were set on fire—but hour by hour"
The volcanic eruptions provide a grim source of hope—a "fearful hope” Forests are burned for fuel but are consumed quickly, leaving nothing but darkness.

Lines 21-23
"They fell and faded—and the crackling trunks
Extinguish'd with a crash—and all was black.
The brows of men by the despairing light"
The destruction of forests symbolizes nature’s depletion. The phrase “all was black” reinforces total darkness.

Lines 24-27
"Wore an unearthly aspect, as by fits
The flashes fell upon them; some lay down
And hid their eyes and wept; and some did rest
Their chins upon their clenched hands, and smil'd;"
Different reactions to despair are depicted: some weep in hopelessness while others smile grimly in resignation or madness.

Lines 28-31
"And others hurried to and fro, and fed
Their funeral piles with fuel, and look'd up
With mad disquietude on the dull sky,
The pall of a past world;"
People frantically feed fires ("funeral piles"), symbolizing futile attempts to resist death. The sky is described as a “pall” (a funeral shroud), emphasizing loss and mourning for a dead world.

Lines 32-36
"And then again
With curses cast them down upon the dust,
And gnash'd their teeth and howl'd: the wild birds shriek'd
And, terrified, did flutter on the ground,
And flap their useless wings;"
Human despair escalates to rage ("curses," "gnash’d their teeth"). This primal behavior mirrors animals’ panic. Birds’ “useless wings” highlight nature’s helplessness in this apocalyptic scenario.

Lines 37-40
"The wildest brutes
Came tame and tremulous; and vipers crawl'd
And twin'd themselves among the multitude,
Hissing, but stingless—they were slain for food."
Predators become docile ("tame"), reflecting nature’s breakdown. Even vipers lose their venomous defense mechanisms. Humanity resorts to killing snakes for sustenance—a grim image of survival at any cost.

"And War, which for a moment was no more,
Did glut himself again: a meal was bought
With blood,”
War briefly ceases during initial chaos but returns as people fight over dwindling resources. Violence becomes transactional—“a meal was bought / With blood”—highlighting moral collapse.

Lines 44-47
"...and each sate sullenly apart
Gorging himself in gloom: no love was left;
All earth was but one thought—and that was death
Immediate and inglorious;"
Isolation replaces community as individuals eat alone in misery. Love disappears entirely. Death becomes inevitable (“immediate”) yet meaningless (“inglorious”).

Lines 48–57
"...and famine fed upon all entrails—men...gnaw’d bones...dogs assail’d masters...one faithful dog dies beside its master.”
This section depicts extreme starvation leading to cannibalism. A loyal dog dying beside its master provides one final moment of pathos before succumbing to despair.

Final Stanza (58–82)
"The world was void... Darkness had no need / Of aid from them—She was the Universe.”
The poem concludes with total annihilation: Earth becomes lifeless (“herbless,” “treeless”), oceans stagnate, winds cease. Darkness personified as “She” becomes omnipotent—a chilling embodiment of entropy.

Lord Byron’s "Darkness" is an apocalyptic masterpiece that uses vivid imagery to explore themes of despair, human fragility, environmental collapse, and cosmic indifference. Its relentless bleakness challenges readers to confront existential questions about humanity's place in an uncaring universe. Hopefully, you understand a little bit more about the sometimes dark or fatalistic comparisons. And this time, I will read Darkness without stopping.

Darkness
BY LORD BYRON (GEORGE GORDON)

I had a dream, which was not all a dream.
The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars
Did wander darkling in the eternal space,
Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth
Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air;
Morn came and went—and came, and brought no day,
And men forgot their passions in the dread
Of this their desolation; and all hearts
Were chill'd into a selfish prayer for light:
And they did live by watchfires—and the thrones,
The palaces of crowned kings—the huts,
The habitations of all things which dwell,
Were burnt for beacons; cities were consum'd,
And men were gather'd round their blazing homes
To look once more into each other's face;
Happy were those who dwelt within the eye
Of the volcanos, and their mountain-torch:
A fearful hope was all the world contain'd;
Forests were set on fire—but hour by hour
They fell and faded—and the crackling trunks
Extinguish'd with a crash—and all was black.
The brows of men by the despairing light
Wore an unearthly aspect, as by fits
The flashes fell upon them; some lay down
And hid their eyes and wept; and some did rest
Their chins upon their clenched hands, and smil'd;
And others hurried to and fro, and fed
Their funeral piles with fuel, and look'd up
With mad disquietude on the dull sky,
The pall of a past world; and then again
With curses cast them down upon the dust,
And gnash'd their teeth and howl'd: the wild birds shriek'd
And, terrified, did flutter on the ground,
And flap their useless wings; the wildest brutes
Came tame and tremulous; and vipers crawl'd
And twin'd themselves among the multitude,
Hissing, but stingless—they were slain for food.
And War, which for a moment was no more,
Did glut himself again: a meal was bought
With blood, and each sate sullenly apart
Gorging himself in gloom: no love was left;
All earth was but one thought—and that was death
Immediate and inglorious; and the pang
Of famine fed upon all entrails—men
Died, and their bones were tombless as their flesh;
The meagre by the meagre were devour'd,
Even dogs assail'd their masters, all save one,
And he was faithful to a corse, and kept
The birds and beasts and famish'd men at bay,
Till hunger clung them, or the dropping dead
Lur'd their lank jaws; himself sought out no food,
But with a piteous and perpetual moan,
And a quick desolate cry, licking the hand
Which answer'd not with a caress—he died.
The crowd was famish'd by degrees; but two
Of an enormous city did survive,
And they were enemies: they met beside
The dying embers of an altar-place
Where had been heap'd a mass of holy things
For an unholy usage; they rak'd up,
And shivering scrap'd with their cold skeleton hands
The feeble ashes, and their feeble breath
Blew for a little life, and made a flame
Which was a mockery; then they lifted up
Their eyes as it grew lighter, and beheld
Each other's aspects—saw, and shriek'd, and died—
Even of their mutual hideousness they died,
Unknowing who he was upon whose brow
Famine had written Fiend. The world was void,
The populous and the powerful was a lump,
Seasonless, herbless, treeless, manless, lifeless—
A lump of death—a chaos of hard clay.
The rivers, lakes and ocean all stood still,
And nothing stirr'd within their silent depths;
Ships sailorless lay rotting on the sea,
And their masts fell down piecemeal: as they dropp'd
They slept on the abyss without a surge—
The waves were dead; the tides were in their grave,
The moon, their mistress, had expir'd before;
The winds were wither'd in the stagnant air,
And the clouds perish'd; Darkness had no need
Of aid from them—She was the Universe.

Remember that Lord Byron's poem "Darkness" can be interpreted as a powerful and apocalyptic vision of a world devoid of light, life, and hope. The poem reflects the environmental and social upheavals of its time.

As you know, ”Darkness" was composed during a period of global climate anomalies caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia. The volcanic ash in the atmosphere led to dramatic weather changes, crop failures, and widespread famine. Byron's poem captures the existential dread and even apocalyptic imagination of that era.

Many scholars believe that the poem envisions the end of the world, where darkness consumes all light and life. It also explores how humans react to catastrophe—with selfishness, violence, and despair. The natural world is portrayed as indifferent to human suffering; even celestial bodies succumb to entropy. And the powerful imagery of individuals dying alone or turning against one another underscores profound loneliness. And thrones and palaces burn alongside huts, symbolizing the equalizing force of disaster.

In the context of Lord Byron's poem "Darkness," the main concept plays a central role in driving the narrative and thematic structure of the work. The poem is a post-apocalyptic vision in which the extinguishing of the sun plunges the world into perpetual darkness, serving as both a literal and symbolic force that dismantles civilization, nature, and human morality.

Note that while “Darkness” begins with the sun's extinction - the darkness triggers a chain reaction of events that leads to the collapse of natural systems and human society. The earth becomes "icy," celestial bodies lose their light, and humanity is thrust into chaos and despair.

Darkness erases societal hierarchies, reducing kings and peasants alike to desperate survivors. Palaces and huts are burned indiscriminately for warmth, symbolizing the futility of wealth and power in the face of universal calamity.

As resources dwindle - and this is becoming a major concern today - Darkness exacerbates human selfishness and brutality. People turn on each other, descending into violence, cannibalism, and madness. This moral collapse underscores the poem's critique of humanity's inability to unite even in shared catastrophe. Darkness represents not just the physical absence of light but also the spiritual and existential void that consumes all life. By the poem's end, even nature succumbs—oceans stagnate, winds cease, and the moon dies—leaving darkness as the sole ruler of a lifeless universe.

The pervasive darkness can be interpreted as a metaphor for Byron's personal despair and cynicism about humanity’s future. Written during a time of environmental upheaval (in other words, the "Year Without a Summer") and personal turmoil, it reflects his belief in nature’s indifference to human suffering and the destructive tendencies of mankind.

Darkness is not merely an environmental condition in Byron's poem but an omnipresent force that drives the apocalyptic narrative, exposes human frailty, and symbolizes ultimate annihilation. It serves as both a warning about humanity's self-destructive tendencies and a meditation on existential despair.

Even nature's resources are finite; fire offers temporary solace but in Lord Byron’s poem ultimately succumbs to darkness. Darkness becomes an omnipresent force, symbolizing ultimate annihilation.

In conclusion, ”Darkness" is a masterful meditation on an apocalyptic event that combines personal despair with universal themes. Its vivid imagery and philosophical depth invites readers to reflect on humanity's fragility in the face of nature's power. Byron's work remains relevant today as it resonates with modern concerns about environmental collapse and existential dread.

Join Celebrate Poe for episode 333 Frankenstein and Poe

Sources include: The Complete Works of Lord Byron, Poetry, Plays, Letters, and Biographies by Lord Byron, Dark Imaginings: Ideology and Darkness in the Poetry of Lord Byron by Geoff Payne, and Swimming with Lord Byron by Harold Kuhn.

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George Bartley

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