Poem: "The Darkness" by Lord Byron

1.) I read "The Darkness" by Lord Byron. I liked the poem and I enjoyed it because of many reasons. I enjoyed the dark, gloomy tone that the poem had that the other poems didn’t seem to have. While reading the poem, I could imagine myself in the situation in the poem, watching all of the horrors occur. I also liked the language of the poem and the fact that I knew what most of the words in the poem meant J.

2.) I think the poem is trying to say that once it is the time for the world to end, and the world is full of catastrophes, every man (or creature) lives for himself. All the riches, luxuries, and money that you may have will no longer matter. Every man will have the same look on his face: desperation to be spared from death. Everything will revolve around death and there will no longer be love in the world. The poem also talks about the lack of religion and that people will not even care for a higher being when in disastrous situations. Once the world is falling apart, people will give up everything to stay alive. This connects to today’s world because I feel that many movies today are based on post-apocalyptic events causing the whole population to be in mayhem. I also think it’s relevant in today’s world because I feel that that’s how this world would respond to monstrous disasters as well. The phrase “every man for himself” is clearly identified in movies today that include apocalyptic events, such as zombie outbreaks, airborne illnesses, etc. Most of the characters in the movies put their own lives before others and do not allow themselves to trust others. Like in the poem, all the love and care is replaced by fear and mistrust. Also, I don’t think that the world has changed or will change. I feel Lord Byron is telling us that it is in man’s nature to become helpless, selfish, and savage once placed in a life or death situation.

 3.) The poem is “romantic” because it expresses a personal experience of the poet, it contains a lot of negative emotions (anger, fear, sadness, etc.), and it glorifies nature. It expresses his personal experience because it was the poet’s dream. I think that the poet wants the readers to imagine all of the events in his poem and feel all of the powerful emotions. It glorifies nature in that it shows how nature is in control of the lives in the world. In the end of the poem, “the winds were withered in the stagnant air,/ And the clouds perished; Darkness had no need/ Of aid from them.” This shows that although man needs nature in order to survive, nature does not need man.