pleasant and romantic world depicted in "She Walks in Beauty," Byron illustrates a dark, cold, and hopeless world in "Darkness." "Darkness" is an elaborately detailed poem that remains a testament to Byron's flexibility as a poet. When I consider the personal and external forces at work in Byron's life at this time, it becomes easier to understand how he could so masterfully create a world that was full of despair and so far removed from the world he illustrated in "She Walks Like Beauty."

By the time "Darkness" was published, Byron was already established as a poet whose talent covered a wide range. (Bartleby) "She Walks in Beauty" was written in 1814, and is presumably written for Mrs. Robert John Wilmot, Byron's cousin. (Wu 668). Although only two years separate the two poems, there were forces other than love that were influencing Byron's life during those years. History provides a...
[ View Full Essay]