Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came
Roland follows an old man's directions despite suspecting deceit, continuing his long search for the Dark Tower across a barren plain. Memories of disgraced companions offer no comfort as he fords a river and passes through desolate terrain. He finally recognizes the Tower among enclosing hills, sees his lost fellow adventurers ranged along the hillsides, and defiantly blows his horn.
By Robert Browning · Genre: Dramatic Monologue, Narrative Poetry, Gothic Poetry · 2,564 words
First lines
See Edgar's song in _Lear_.
My first thought was, he lied in every word, / That hoary cripple, with malicious eye / Askance to watch the working of his lie / On mine, and mouth scarce able to afford / Suppression of the glee, that pursed and scored / Its edge, at one more victim gained thereby.
Genres
- Dramatic Monologue — The questing knight recounts his journey in his own voice, revealing his distrust, exhausted hopes, disturbing memories, and final defiance.
- Narrative Poetry — Rhymed six-line stanzas carry a sequence of encounters from the old man's directions through the river crossing to the discovery of the Tower.
- Gothic Poetry — The vanished road, grotesquely wasted horse, ominous machinery, enclosed Tower, and appearance of lost adventurers sustain the knight's dread.
Tags
quest · knights · barren landscapes · despair · lost companions · dramatic monologue
What this Textopian page supports
Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Browning, dated Date unknown.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Browning
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Dramatic Monologue, Narrative Poetry, Gothic Poetry
- Length: 2,564 words
- Structure: 1 section, 35 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came by Robert Browning
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