WCU - Spring 2006 Commentary on DARKNESS by Byron

Darkness

Byron creates an apocalyptic vision of anarchy and chaos, all the result of an “extinguished” sun. To imagine this kind of cosmic, global armaggedon is frightening, especially in light of the current disaster on the Gulf coast, which makes this poem seem a little too real. But it is imaginary. Byron takes what’s happened in New Orleans and makes it pervasive, universal. It’s an alternative reality, and when we “return home again” from this mental nightmare we may have a slightly different perspective on human nature. We may see it is a little less high and mighty, a little less exalted, a little less “in control.” We may feel a little more vulnerable.

It’s a little like Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown.” He has this devastating vision of human nature as universally evil and depraved; everyone, including his newlywed wife “Faith” is given over to the devil. And then he has to go home again and live his life. His life is trashed. He’s now suspicious and paranoid about everyone and everything. Nothing is what it seems. Everything is hypocrisy and lies. This is a young man who’s life has been ruined by one night in the forest, one glimpse behind the veneer of Puritan society. That is something Hawthorne sees and understands and is able to communicate through this story, this fascinating psychological dissection of what Puritanism does to Young Goodman Brown.

And reading “Darkness” is a little of the same effect. What lies behind this thin veneer of civilization. Most of the time the veneer seems thick, not thin. But then disaster strikes, and the curtain comes down. Is it the Wizard of Oz running the show back there? What’s behind the curtain?

Discussion questions

When you finish reading the poem, try to discover what the speaker means in the first line: “I had a dream, which was not all a dream.” (There’s something true here, despite the fact that it was imagined, not lived. What’s true in your opinion?)
The sun is the source of all life, and it doesn’t need to symbolize anything to give the poem meaning. The sun goes out, and that’s the end of life. It’s literally understandable. But the sun could have metaphorical, figurative meaning also. What might the sun “represent” or symbolize beyond its literal meaning as a floating ball of powerful thermonuclear gasses? (Light, understanding, warmth, kindness, wisdom, etc.)
What’s the speaker’s tone? (Very biblical, prophetic—why?) Is Byron mocking the prophets or is this serious prophecy? Should we take what he’s saying seriously, or is he having a laugh? Both?
Why is the one heroic character in the poem’s narrative a dog? What’s the implied point there?
Two remaining humans are “bitter enemies.” Does that seem a little ironic? Why? (They have more in common than they have differences.) Is their death ironic? (Yes—they die of each other’s “mutual” hideousness.” Once again, they’re the same. Why be enemies? Immediately afterwards the speaker describes how death levels everyone and everything—it’s all equal.)
The poem’s ending is dark, literally. What’s “dark” about it besides the literal darkness? (Nature has dominion, not humanity; there’s no relief or salvation from any spiritual higher power; there are no human heroes, no rescues, no spiritual renewal or sign of heavenly reward for all this suffering; it’s catastrophe, devastation, with no hope of renewal, a kind of hell like Dante’s Inferno, as we’ll see.) What’s the value of reading something “dark” like this? You may personally like it or hate it, but do you think it’s important or valuable in some way?
Can we relate to this poem today? Does it seem relevant? (It seems a pretty accurate description of how things might play out in the event of catastrophic environmental depletion (“extinction”) or disaster. Is it anything like Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring?

Is “Darkness” making any kind of coherent statement about “imagination”?

[to be continued]

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