The City of Dreadful Night
The City of Dreadful Night is a poem by James Thomson, first published in 1874. It is a dark and gloomy poem that paints a vivid picture of a city filled with despair and suffering. The poem follows a narrator as he wanders through the city, encountering various characters and scenes of misery and despair. He meets a variety of people, from the destitute and homeless to the wealthy and powerful, all of whom are struggling to survive in the city. The poem is a meditation on the human condition and the suffering that is caused by poverty, inequality, and injustice. The poem ends with the narrator finding hope in the form of a star, which he believes will lead him out of the city and into a better life.
By James Thomson · First published 1874 · Genre: Romantic Poetry, Gothic Literature, Mystery · 22 chapters · 8,737 words
First lines
Lo, thus, as prostrate, "In the dust I write My heart's deep languor and my soul's sad tears." Yet why evoke the spectres of black night To blot the sunshine of exultant years? Why disinter dead faith from mouldering hidden? Why break the seals of mute despair unbidden, And wail life's discords into careless ears?
Because a cold rage seizes one at whiles To show the bitter old and wrinkled truth Stripped naked of all vesture that beguiles, False dreams, false hopes, false masks and modes of youth; Because it gives some sense of power and passion In helpless innocence to try to fashion Our woe in living words howe'er uncouth.
What this Textopian page supports
The City of Dreadful Night is listed on Textopian as a novel by James Thomson, dated 1874 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: James Thomson
- Date: 1874 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Romantic Poetry, Gothic Literature, Mystery, Horror
- Length: 8,737 words
- Structure: 22 chapters, 196 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The City of Dreadful Night by James Thomson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The City of Dreadful Night?
- How does this novel by James Thomson fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Romantic Poetry first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Romantic Poetry — The City of Dreadful Night is a long poem written by James Thomson, which is a classic example of Romantic poetry.
- Gothic Literature — The poem is set in a dark and mysterious city, and contains themes of death, despair, and fear, which are all common elements of Gothic literature.
- Mystery — The poem is full of mysterious and unexplained events, which make it a good example of a mystery story.
- Horror — The poem contains many elements of horror, such as dark and mysterious settings, supernatural elements, and frightening imagery.
Tags
English poetry · air · beneath · black · city · cold · dark · daydreams · dead · death · deep · desert
Contents
- PROEM
- CHAPTER I
- CHAPTER II
- CHAPTER III
- CHAPTER IV
- CHAPTER V
- CHAPTER VI
- CHAPTER VII
- CHAPTER VIII
- CHAPTER IX
- CHAPTER X
- CHAPTER XI
- CHAPTER XII
- CHAPTER XIII
- CHAPTER XIV
- CHAPTER XV
- CHAPTER XVI
- CHAPTER XVII
- CHAPTER XVIII
- CHAPTER XIX
- CHAPTER XX
- CHAPTER XXI