Darkness

I had a dream, which was not all a dream.
The bright sun was extinguished, and the stars
Did wander darkling in the eternal space,
Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth
Swung blind and blackened 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 chilled 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 consumed,
And men were gathered 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 contained;
Forests were set on fire but hour by hour
They fell and faded and the crackling trunks
Extinguished 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 smiled;
And others hurried to and fro, and fed
Their funeral piles with fuel and looked 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 their teeth and howled; the wild birds shrieked
And terrified did flutter on the ground,
And flap their useless wings; the wildest brutes
Came tame and tremulous; and vipers crawled
And twinned 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; 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 were devoured by the meagre,
Even dogs assailed their masters, all save one,
And he was faithful to a corpse, and kept
The birds and beasts and famished men at bay,
Till hunger clung them or the dropping dead
Lurked their lank jaws; himself sought out no food,
But with a piteous and perpetual moan,
And a quick desolate cry licking the hand
Which answered not with a caress he died.
The crowd was famished 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 a mass of holy things had been heap’d
For an unholy usage; they raised up,
Shivering scrap 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, shrieked, 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 were 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 stirred within their silent depths;
Ships sailorless lay rotting on the sea, and their masts fell down piecemeal, as they dropped. They slept on the abyss without a surge.
The waves were dead; the tides were in their grave;
The moon, their mistress, had expired before;
The winds were withered in the stagnant air, and the clouds perished; darkness had no need of aid from them; she was the universe.

Summary of Darkness

The poem is a vivid and terrifying depiction of a world plunged into perpetual night. Through an almost surreal narrative, Byron creates a dystopia where the sun has vanished and humanity is forced to live by the flicker of watchfires and the smoldering glow of ruined thrones. The poem’s refrain, “The bright sun was extinguished,” underscores the sense that hope has been eradicated, and the reader is drawn into a universe where the very concept of light has become a memory. The setting is bleak and desolate, and the narrative is a powerful meditation on the fragility of life in an unforgiving universe.

Noteworthy Knowledge

Byron’s writing style often leans heavily on the power of the written word, and his poems are celebrated for their vivid imagery. The poem’s use of language and diction demonstrates how it can convey the most intense emotions. The poem’s structure and diction can evoke the feelings of fear and dread that are at the core of a work’s tone and atmosphere. The poem is not a direct response to this event, and the fragility of civilization is portrayed in a very distinct manner.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “Darkness”

Assonance: The poem’s sound is dominated by repeated long vowel sounds that create a sense of dread. The long vowel “a” is used in several lines such as “The bright sun was extinguished” and “Came tame and tremulous.”

Consonance: The poem uses consonant sounds to produce a sense of harshness and difficulty. In lines such as “The bright sun was extinguished” and “darkness had no need of aid from them; she was the universe.” the repetition of consonants adds an audible echo to the narrative.

Alliteration: A repeated consonant sound can add a musical quality to the poem. In the lines “The bright sun was extinguished” and “Darkness had no need of aid from them; she was the universe.” the repeated “s” sound is used to produce an almost musical rhythm that emphasizes the poem’s overall sound.

Imagery: The poem’s vivid descriptions and figurative language create powerful images that give the reader a clear sense of the setting and atmosphere. The most striking example is the personification of “Darkness” itself, which is portrayed as a powerful, all-consuming entity: “Darkness had no need of aid from them; she was the universe.”

Personification: The poem’s use of figurative language is particularly effective in conveying the harsh realities of a bleak and unforgiving world.

Metaphor: The poem’s metaphorical language conveys a sense of loss and hopelessness that is not easily grasped. The poem’s metaphor is a powerful example of how language can convey meaning.

Simile: The poem’s imagery is used to create a sense of horror and terror.

Rhetorical Device: The poem’s language can convey the feeling of terror and the sense of the reader’s emotional reaction.

Irony: The poem uses irony to make the reader think about the world in a different way. The poem’s use of irony is an effective way to convey the reader’s sense of the world.

Foreshadowing: The poem’s use of foreshadowing is a powerful way to help the reader’s sense of the poem’s theme.

Consonance in “Darkness”

Consonance is a poetic device that uses consonant sounds in a poem to give the poem a more musical quality. Consonance is used in the poem to make the poem’s sound more powerful. The poem uses consonant sounds in a way that creates a sense of harshness and difficulty.

Assonance in “Darkness”

Assonance is a poetic device that uses long vowel sounds in a poem to create a sense of musicality. Assonance is used in the poem to create a sense of musicality. The poem’s use of assonance is a powerful example of how language can convey a sense of sound.

Rhyme

Rhyme is a poetic device that uses a repeated sound or word to create a sense of unity. Rhyme is used in the poem to create a sense of unity. Rhyme is used in the poem to create a sense of unity.

Irony

Irony is a poetic device that is used to create a sense of unity. Irony is used in the poem to create a sense of unity. Irony is used in the poem to create a sense of unity.

Free Verse

Free verse is a style of poetry that uses no rhyme or meter. Free verse is a style of poetry that uses no rhyme or meter. The poem’s length; 82 verses is remarkable, but it lacks formal stanza breaks.

Stanza

The poem’s length; 82 verses is remarkable, but it lacks formal stanza breaks.

Quotes

Below are some quotes from the poem. You can copy and paste the quotes into a Word document or into a Google Docs document. You can then add the quotes to your own documents.

Quotes from the poem

“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished, and the stars.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“Even dogs assailed their masters, all save one.”
“Even dogs assailed their masters.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”
“The bright sun was extinguished.”

Using these quotes in your own documents

In this guide you’ll learn how to copy and paste the quotes into a Word document or into a Google Docs document. Below are the steps you need to follow to do this. You can use the quotes for a variety of projects, such as a presentation or a poster. You can also add the quotes to your own documents.