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Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came
Written in 1855 and first published in the collection "Men and Women", Browning's narrative poem later served as the inspiration for Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series.
The poem tells the tale of Roland, a knight, who comes as last to the object of his quest: the Dark Tower. His comrades have all fallen, and he is the last. He endures, marching on and on, until he comes at last to the Tower.
The poem tells the tale of Roland, a knight, who comes as last to the object of his quest: the Dark Tower. His comrades have all fallen, and he is the last. He endures, marching on and on, until he comes at last to the Tower.
6 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1855
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1338 people want to read
About the author
Robert Browning
2,699 books449 followersRobert Browning (1812-1889) was a British poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.
Browning began writing poetry at age 13. These poems were eventually collected, but were later destroyed by Browning himself. In 1833, Browning's "Pauline" was published and received a cool reception. Harold Bloom believes that John Stuart Mill's review of the poem pointed Browning in the direction of the dramatic monologue.
In 1845, Browning wrote a letter to the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, professing that he loved her poetry and her. In 1846, the couple eloped to Europe, eventually settling in Florence in 1847. They had a son Pen.
Upon Elizabeth Barrett Browning's death in 1861, Browning returned to London with his son. While in London, he published Dramatis Personae (1864) and The Ring and the Book (1869), both of which gained him critical priase and respect. His last book Asolando was published in 1889 when the poet was 77.
In 1889, Browning traveled to Italy to visit friends. He died in Venice on December 12 while visiting his sister.
Browning began writing poetry at age 13. These poems were eventually collected, but were later destroyed by Browning himself. In 1833, Browning's "Pauline" was published and received a cool reception. Harold Bloom believes that John Stuart Mill's review of the poem pointed Browning in the direction of the dramatic monologue.
In 1845, Browning wrote a letter to the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, professing that he loved her poetry and her. In 1846, the couple eloped to Europe, eventually settling in Florence in 1847. They had a son Pen.
Upon Elizabeth Barrett Browning's death in 1861, Browning returned to London with his son. While in London, he published Dramatis Personae (1864) and The Ring and the Book (1869), both of which gained him critical priase and respect. His last book Asolando was published in 1889 when the poet was 77.
In 1889, Browning traveled to Italy to visit friends. He died in Venice on December 12 while visiting his sister.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
January 18, 2013
For the past decade or so, one of the ways I find books to read is to see who or what influenced some of my favorite writers. I discovered P.G. Wodehouse after he was mentioned by Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, and Christopher Moore, for example. One of Stephen King's influences for the Dark Tower saga was this poem by Robert Browning.
I've been a Dark Tower junkie for somewhere between twelve and fifteen years at this point but I never read the poem Stephen King drew inspiration from until today. It's not a long poem by any means. There are many reviews on this site that are longer. Yet it contains a lot of parallels to The Dark Tower series.
The poem is in an AABABB rhyme scheme and told in 34 stanzas. I'll note the Dark Tower inklings that jumped out at me.
The first four stanzas seem to be an inspiration for the first book in the Dark Tower series, The Gunslinger. Roland, recalling his wanderings, is tempted to give up on his quest for the Dark Tower by a lying old man with a staff. Sound familiar?
The seventh stanza also harkens to the Gunslinger, when Roland thinks of the others who have fallen in the quest for the Dark Tower. In the eighth, Roland resumes his quest. In the ninth, he's lost and the only man is gone, kind of like when Roland finds himself lost on the seashore, just before the lobstrocities attack.
In the sixteenth stanza, Roland remembers his friend Cuthbert's face. In the seventeenth, a traitor and a hanging are mentioned. In the flashback sequence in the Gunslinger, Roland and Cuthbert witness the hanging of a traitor.
In the thirty-first stanza, Roland finally sees the Tower in the distance, built of brown stone. Finally, in the final stanza, Roland blows his horn, signifying the end of his quest, something that didn't happen on the last iteration of Stephen King's Dark Tower, but may happen in the next one.
Sadly, there is no giant bear with a satellite dish on it's head in Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came. For the bear, I'll be reading Shardik sometime in the future.
I've been a Dark Tower junkie for somewhere between twelve and fifteen years at this point but I never read the poem Stephen King drew inspiration from until today. It's not a long poem by any means. There are many reviews on this site that are longer. Yet it contains a lot of parallels to The Dark Tower series.
The poem is in an AABABB rhyme scheme and told in 34 stanzas. I'll note the Dark Tower inklings that jumped out at me.
The first four stanzas seem to be an inspiration for the first book in the Dark Tower series, The Gunslinger. Roland, recalling his wanderings, is tempted to give up on his quest for the Dark Tower by a lying old man with a staff. Sound familiar?
The seventh stanza also harkens to the Gunslinger, when Roland thinks of the others who have fallen in the quest for the Dark Tower. In the eighth, Roland resumes his quest. In the ninth, he's lost and the only man is gone, kind of like when Roland finds himself lost on the seashore, just before the lobstrocities attack.
In the sixteenth stanza, Roland remembers his friend Cuthbert's face. In the seventeenth, a traitor and a hanging are mentioned. In the flashback sequence in the Gunslinger, Roland and Cuthbert witness the hanging of a traitor.
In the thirty-first stanza, Roland finally sees the Tower in the distance, built of brown stone. Finally, in the final stanza, Roland blows his horn, signifying the end of his quest, something that didn't happen on the last iteration of Stephen King's Dark Tower, but may happen in the next one.
Sadly, there is no giant bear with a satellite dish on it's head in Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came. For the bear, I'll be reading Shardik sometime in the future.
November 3, 2025
Имам силно желание да прочета цялата поредица на Кинг за "Тъмната кула" - може би, точно тя се явява и непризнатият му магнум опус, делото на живота му!
Навремето съм чел книгите до петата и поради някакви, отдавна забравени прични, изоставих серията недочетена...
Затова сега започвам от самото начало, с чудесната викторианска поема, вдъхновила Краля - "Чайлд Роланд кулата достигна" от Робърт Браунинг. За мой късмет, има я на български и то в много добър превод на Адриан Лазаровски.
Не съм много по поезията аз, но тази балада ме пренесе на друго място, във време жестоко, опасно и безмилостно, по пътя на Чайлд Роланд, към най-голямото предизвикателство - равносметката в края на живота, пред прага на смъртта...
Ще намеря и други произведения на Робърт Браунинг, те могат още много да дадат!
Навремето съм чел книгите до петата и поради някакви, отдавна забравени прични, изоставих серията недочетена...
Затова сега започвам от самото начало, с чудесната викторианска поема, вдъхновила Краля - "Чайлд Роланд кулата достигна" от Робърт Браунинг. За мой късмет, има я на български и то в много добър превод на Адриан Лазаровски.
Не съм много по поезията аз, но тази балада ме пренесе на друго място, във време жестоко, опасно и безмилостно, по пътя на Чайлд Роланд, към най-голямото предизвикателство - равносметката в края на живота, пред прага на смъртта...
Ще намеря и други произведения на Робърт Браунинг, те могат още много да дадат!
December 27, 2024
Per il 2025 mi vorrei dedicare alla saga de "La Torre Nera" di Stephen King e per caso ho scoperto questo piccolo poemetto, dove tutto ha avuto origine.
La narrazione si fa canto onirico e crepuscolare e...
Lettura molto d'atmosfera!
La narrazione si fa canto onirico e crepuscolare e...
Lettura molto d'atmosfera!
April 28, 2023
„Възможно ли бе Кулата, която
в незнайно време беше съградена,
да бъде тук? И кръглите стени
от кафеникав камък построени
след толкова неизброими дни
да се разкрият именно на мене?“
Превод: Адриан Лазаровски
в незнайно време беше съградена,
да бъде тук? И кръглите стени
от кафеникав камък построени
след толкова неизброими дни
да се разкрият именно на мене?“
Превод: Адриан Лазаровски
June 1, 2017
After my experience with "The Star", I remembered this poem I listened/read almost two years ago and I had to repeat that. Got goosebumps once again ;))
----
The poem which inspired Stephen King' series "The Dark Tower".
I read it while listening this marvelous performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY3oMR...
Simply amazing.
----
The poem which inspired Stephen King' series "The Dark Tower".
I read it while listening this marvelous performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY3oMR...
Simply amazing.
October 10, 2022
I get this poem now. ;(
For, what with my whole world-wide wandering,
What with my search drawn out thro' years, my hope
Dwindled into a ghost not fit to cope
With that obstreperous joy success would bring,
I hardly tried now to rebuke the spring
My heart made, finding failure in its scope.
February 4, 2018
Surprisingly, perhaps not so, this poem by a Victorian poet inspired a modern novelist to write an epic saga of postmodern multiverse proportions. . . .
December 18, 2023
Readers find different meanings in the books that they indulge in. You, me and the average joe, would chance upon Robert Browning ode to a hero's tale, and take away from it the determination of our protagonist Roland to undertake the perilous and insurmountable quest, his perseverance in face of ever dangerous obstacles, his resilience at the prospect of failure and ultimate death, as well as the burning sense of duty as well as loyalty to his fallen comrades which drives him forwards, whatever the end might hold.
Stephen King read the work, took away that, and much more, using it as the template to craft the rich and enthralling world of Roland Deschain and the Dark Tower.
Like most general readers, the reason I picked up this poem was upon learning how it served as inspiration to Mr. King's acclaimed series. Yet even then I was spellbound at how closely the journey of Browning's protagonist mirrors that of Deschain.
Mr. King is able to take all the defining, engaging and tormenting traits of Roland, and imbue it to his own protagonist, while at the same time fleshing him out and somehow improving upon them, giving us a hero with whom we're willing to journey to the ends of the earth.
Other than Roland, other elements of the poem, such as the treacherous sorcerer, the death inducing suffocating and oppressive world of the desert, as well as Roland's backstory and past were taken oftentimes verbatim and expanded upon, in a manner that would satisfy the readers who would want to know, what exactly happened to Browning's Roland to put him in this path.
In many ways, despite all the challenges, obstacles and failures that he encounters, Roland here is able to keep alive the ray of hope, as well as the determination to see his near impossible task to its completion.
The final stanza of the poem is knight Roland, throwing away the shackles of doubt, suffering and guilt, to proclaim to the dead desert, the oppressive towards, the malicious powers and the whole world, that his will has not yet been broken. That he shall persevere, for giving meaning, not only to his own existence, but also to that of his fellows, who fell along the journey, whose hopes, dreams and mission Roland inherited as his own.
Much like Boromir in the Lord of the Rings, blowing the horn of Gondor, Roland bellows his slug-horn, in defiance to the cruel fate that has robbed much of him, and proclaim to all, 'Here stands Childe Roland, and he has come to the Dark tower', to face fire and brimstone.
Stephen King read the work, took away that, and much more, using it as the template to craft the rich and enthralling world of Roland Deschain and the Dark Tower.
Like most general readers, the reason I picked up this poem was upon learning how it served as inspiration to Mr. King's acclaimed series. Yet even then I was spellbound at how closely the journey of Browning's protagonist mirrors that of Deschain.
Mr. King is able to take all the defining, engaging and tormenting traits of Roland, and imbue it to his own protagonist, while at the same time fleshing him out and somehow improving upon them, giving us a hero with whom we're willing to journey to the ends of the earth.
Other than Roland, other elements of the poem, such as the treacherous sorcerer, the death inducing suffocating and oppressive world of the desert, as well as Roland's backstory and past were taken oftentimes verbatim and expanded upon, in a manner that would satisfy the readers who would want to know, what exactly happened to Browning's Roland to put him in this path.
In many ways, despite all the challenges, obstacles and failures that he encounters, Roland here is able to keep alive the ray of hope, as well as the determination to see his near impossible task to its completion.
The final stanza of the poem is knight Roland, throwing away the shackles of doubt, suffering and guilt, to proclaim to the dead desert, the oppressive towards, the malicious powers and the whole world, that his will has not yet been broken. That he shall persevere, for giving meaning, not only to his own existence, but also to that of his fellows, who fell along the journey, whose hopes, dreams and mission Roland inherited as his own.
Much like Boromir in the Lord of the Rings, blowing the horn of Gondor, Roland bellows his slug-horn, in defiance to the cruel fate that has robbed much of him, and proclaim to all, 'Here stands Childe Roland, and he has come to the Dark tower', to face fire and brimstone.
May 29, 2016
First off, I want to meet those critics of Robert Browning, who said he was "nothing more than the husband of a famous poet, Elizabeth Barret."
I want to point it out to them that while they may be factually correct and got the relationship right, they couldn't be more mistaken in assuming that he was "nothing more" than her husband.
I'm sorry, bring me a poet who captures the psychology and the variations of human mind better than Browning! And no, I'm not just talking about the obsessive, neurotic love of the Duke in 'My Last Duchess' or 'Porphyria's Lover' !
Look at Prospice, where he's ready to brave death, look at Fra Lippo Lippi , which is raw poetic GENIUS! And look at Childe Roland!
Just a dream, you say? I think not! This poem may have been dream-inspired but is nothing short of the pure genius Coleridge showed in Kubla Khan!
A knight-in-training led astray by an old, morally defective cripple, comes across a waste land instead of a battlefield, doubts his choice of profession, wonders whether it was wise to 'take the road frequently taken' (see what I did there?), remembers true knights who earned glory and the fake ones who stole it and then makes peace with what he has, and the dark tower he has sought to enter.
Does this speak of despair to you? Or does it sound like PB Shelley's keynote in 'Ode to the West Wind'? The triumph of hope over deapair? The will to go on?
The wasteland here is Browning's own poetic waste land, his lack of inspiration and the end note of the poem is his determination to brave the poetic waste land. He holds true poets of the past in high esteem and is glad that he did not steal poetic glory like the overrated poets of yesteryears. No, he is determined to use this wasteland as inspiration and earn whatever it gives him.
For me, it gave him an edge and made him, now, more than ever, one of my favourite poets. To hell with critics who could not appreciate him then and to hell with fools who fail to appreciate him now! Browning may have been underrated in his time but find me a better Psychological Victorian Poet, with as much range and depth as him. I double dare the world there's none!
I want to point it out to them that while they may be factually correct and got the relationship right, they couldn't be more mistaken in assuming that he was "nothing more" than her husband.
I'm sorry, bring me a poet who captures the psychology and the variations of human mind better than Browning! And no, I'm not just talking about the obsessive, neurotic love of the Duke in 'My Last Duchess' or 'Porphyria's Lover' !
Look at Prospice, where he's ready to brave death, look at Fra Lippo Lippi , which is raw poetic GENIUS! And look at Childe Roland!
Just a dream, you say? I think not! This poem may have been dream-inspired but is nothing short of the pure genius Coleridge showed in Kubla Khan!
A knight-in-training led astray by an old, morally defective cripple, comes across a waste land instead of a battlefield, doubts his choice of profession, wonders whether it was wise to 'take the road frequently taken' (see what I did there?), remembers true knights who earned glory and the fake ones who stole it and then makes peace with what he has, and the dark tower he has sought to enter.
Does this speak of despair to you? Or does it sound like PB Shelley's keynote in 'Ode to the West Wind'? The triumph of hope over deapair? The will to go on?
The wasteland here is Browning's own poetic waste land, his lack of inspiration and the end note of the poem is his determination to brave the poetic waste land. He holds true poets of the past in high esteem and is glad that he did not steal poetic glory like the overrated poets of yesteryears. No, he is determined to use this wasteland as inspiration and earn whatever it gives him.
For me, it gave him an edge and made him, now, more than ever, one of my favourite poets. To hell with critics who could not appreciate him then and to hell with fools who fail to appreciate him now! Browning may have been underrated in his time but find me a better Psychological Victorian Poet, with as much range and depth as him. I double dare the world there's none!
June 29, 2009
One of the creepiest, most goose-bumpy poems I've ever read. Not knowing if the nightmarish lands Roland warily passes though are real or just all in his head makes it all the more chilling. And the classic final line of the poem reverberates with the ominous promise of the unknown.
March 30, 2022
Not going to lie, but I had to read some notes to finish this. I rarely read poems; I find them too complicated at times. Quests, however, I enjoy so much.
The language is old and complicated, and I had to read the notes and the stanzas repeatedly. But once I grasped the language, I understood what Robert Browning said.
It's perfect for any Stephen King's Dark Tower fans, as it is the main inspiration behind the novels. I'll be sure to read the books next.
The language is old and complicated, and I had to read the notes and the stanzas repeatedly. But once I grasped the language, I understood what Robert Browning said.
It's perfect for any Stephen King's Dark Tower fans, as it is the main inspiration behind the novels. I'll be sure to read the books next.
December 10, 2025
It’s interesting seeing the inspiration behind King’s work and piecing together the events and character directly referenced in the Dark Tower series. However, as far as interpretations go, this is not one. The author simply goes through each stanza and describes what happens.
Read
July 15, 2021VII
Thus, I had so long suffered in this quest,
Heard failure prophesied so oft, been writ
So many times among "The Band"—to wit,
The knights who to the Dark Tower's search addressed
Their steps—that just to fail as they, seemed best,
And all the doubt was now—should I be fit?
XXXIII
Not hear? when noise was everywhere! it tolled
Increasing like a bell. Names in my ears
Of all the lost adventurers my peers,—
How such a one was strong, and such was bold,
And such was fortunate, yet each of old
Lost, lost! one moment knelled the woe of years.
"The Briar Wood" by Edward Burne-Jones
Thus, I had so long suffered in this quest,
Heard failure prophesied so oft, been writ
So many times among "The Band"—to wit,
The knights who to the Dark Tower's search addressed
Their steps—that just to fail as they, seemed best,
And all the doubt was now—should I be fit?
XXXIII
Not hear? when noise was everywhere! it tolled
Increasing like a bell. Names in my ears
Of all the lost adventurers my peers,—
How such a one was strong, and such was bold,
And such was fortunate, yet each of old
Lost, lost! one moment knelled the woe of years.
"The Briar Wood" by Edward Burne-Jones
March 15, 2021
I am not much of a critic of poetry so take my judgement maybe not too seriously BUT holy shit this poem is great. Such tragedy or uplifting I guess that up for interpretation but Roland went through pain. Anyways they a 1000 reviews here that can articulate why the poem is soo good which have a proper background or experience in that field of literature. All I can say the atmosphere and the word choices are both masterfully written. I read and listened at the same time to a great youtube video which I recommend.
Fantastic Narration of Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came which enhanced my experience.
Fantastic Narration of Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came which enhanced my experience.
December 27, 2021
One of (if not the) my favourite poems in the English language. At once imbued with desperation and hope; its cultural importance cannot be overstated, least of all if you're a Stephen King nerd.
December 13, 2025
Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came by Robert Browning
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)
I wanted to read “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came” as part of my Dark Tower journey, even though I am not a big poetry reader. It felt important to experience the literary source that inspired Stephen King’s entire saga, so this poem was a must read for me.
„Browning's narrative poem, which was initially published in 1855, eventually served as the source of inspiration for Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series. The poem narrates the story of Roland, a knight who arrives at the Dark Tower, the goal of his quest, last. He is the last survivor after all of his teammates have died. He perseveres, marching relentlessly, until he finally arrives at the Tower.“
I was surprised by the length of the poem and by how straightforward its structure is. However, I found the reading experience rather difficult. The poem felt long winded and not particularly pleasant to read, with heavy language and a slow pace. Much of it is vague and abstract, at least for me, which kept me at an emotional distance. This is probably why I tend to prefer more modern poetry when I read poetry at all.
In the end, this was a 4 star read for me, mainly because I enjoyed looking for thematic connections to Stephen King’s Dark Tower universe. As a stand alone poem, however, it would have been a 2 star read for me.
Want to see more reviews from me or looking for other book-related content, check out my blog: https://sachareads.com 🙂
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)
I wanted to read “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came” as part of my Dark Tower journey, even though I am not a big poetry reader. It felt important to experience the literary source that inspired Stephen King’s entire saga, so this poem was a must read for me.
„Browning's narrative poem, which was initially published in 1855, eventually served as the source of inspiration for Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series. The poem narrates the story of Roland, a knight who arrives at the Dark Tower, the goal of his quest, last. He is the last survivor after all of his teammates have died. He perseveres, marching relentlessly, until he finally arrives at the Tower.“
I was surprised by the length of the poem and by how straightforward its structure is. However, I found the reading experience rather difficult. The poem felt long winded and not particularly pleasant to read, with heavy language and a slow pace. Much of it is vague and abstract, at least for me, which kept me at an emotional distance. This is probably why I tend to prefer more modern poetry when I read poetry at all.
In the end, this was a 4 star read for me, mainly because I enjoyed looking for thematic connections to Stephen King’s Dark Tower universe. As a stand alone poem, however, it would have been a 2 star read for me.
Want to see more reviews from me or looking for other book-related content, check out my blog: https://sachareads.com 🙂
May 12, 2019
Was just thinking of Stephen King, and adventure stories, and how confusing I always found this poem, since first looking at it so many years ago. Reading again, along with Adam, was amusing, if not much more illuminating of Roland’s world and the purpose of the tower.
One has to be a little older, perhaps, to fully appreciate the emotional core of the poem, a feeling of minimal hope, or not even hope, not “hope rekindling at the end descried, /So much as gladness that some end might be.” We search so long, and then we just want it to be done. But in this state, the world can become weird, both distant and personal at once, as we pass the blasted landscape, the dead man rivers, the guilty pained horse and the dark birds that brush our hats. There’s no turning back, so embrace the pain, hold the past in mind, then let it go, and move on, move on.
The Dark Tower is not evil, I’m convinced, just “blind as a fool’s heart,” an important element of the principle of life, which is uncaring, pulsing, driving. Another deeply Romantic element here is the reappearance of knights-errant past, fellow questers failed and trying now to catch a glimpse of another climax. But Cuthbert, Giles and the bunch are all ghosts, and emotionally speaking no different from the memories Roland had of them, the role models or ideals and aversions driving him, in his version of what a life is.
We live and work and find meanings on our own, and it only ever appears that the Dark Tower or anything else has meaning. Since it’s all in our heads, it follows that we may commonly encounter the dream logic of wish-fulfillment:
...in the very nick
Of giving up, one time more, came a click
As when a trap shuts—you ’re inside the den.
This verges on magical thinking, which will not help the quester, but it can help to frame narratives with us as heroes of our own tales, Daniels in lions dens, whatever the objective circumstances might be.
One has to be a little older, perhaps, to fully appreciate the emotional core of the poem, a feeling of minimal hope, or not even hope, not “hope rekindling at the end descried, /So much as gladness that some end might be.” We search so long, and then we just want it to be done. But in this state, the world can become weird, both distant and personal at once, as we pass the blasted landscape, the dead man rivers, the guilty pained horse and the dark birds that brush our hats. There’s no turning back, so embrace the pain, hold the past in mind, then let it go, and move on, move on.
The Dark Tower is not evil, I’m convinced, just “blind as a fool’s heart,” an important element of the principle of life, which is uncaring, pulsing, driving. Another deeply Romantic element here is the reappearance of knights-errant past, fellow questers failed and trying now to catch a glimpse of another climax. But Cuthbert, Giles and the bunch are all ghosts, and emotionally speaking no different from the memories Roland had of them, the role models or ideals and aversions driving him, in his version of what a life is.
We live and work and find meanings on our own, and it only ever appears that the Dark Tower or anything else has meaning. Since it’s all in our heads, it follows that we may commonly encounter the dream logic of wish-fulfillment:
...in the very nick
Of giving up, one time more, came a click
As when a trap shuts—you ’re inside the den.
This verges on magical thinking, which will not help the quester, but it can help to frame narratives with us as heroes of our own tales, Daniels in lions dens, whatever the objective circumstances might be.
June 22, 2011
I had pretty much skipped over and forgotten about Robert Browning. Mostly due to English classes where we dissected one of his poems and talked about his relationship and love letters with Elizabeth Barrett Browning. I wasn't ready for either love poems or much good poetry at that time in my life.
Now I find it pretty ironic that I have Stephen King to thank for rediscovering the other poetry of this man. After having read the inspiriation for King's books I can see how part of the gunslinger series developed from it.
It's nice to have more good poetry on my list now that I have the maturity to appreciate it.
Now I find it pretty ironic that I have Stephen King to thank for rediscovering the other poetry of this man. After having read the inspiriation for King's books I can see how part of the gunslinger series developed from it.
It's nice to have more good poetry on my list now that I have the maturity to appreciate it.
November 18, 2014
One of the top ten poems of all time, surely. Certainly in my top 5 favorites. Its a poem that not only provides goosebumps along the way but when you reach the end your nerves are tingling; your eyes are misty; and you want to leap out of your damn chair and roar out a hurrah!
February 19, 2023
Where should I start…
I have absolutely no idea how I found this poem but it was definitely worth reading. The language was sometimes hard to read -
(I know it’s short, so I’m gonna read one book more for the Reading challenge…🤝🏻)
I have absolutely no idea how I found this poem but it was definitely worth reading. The language was sometimes hard to read -
(I know it’s short, so I’m gonna read one book more for the Reading challenge…🤝🏻)
April 22, 2020
Remarkable! Browning takes no prisoners.
February 18, 2025
Блум познайомив з чудовою одою прийняттю приреченості, яку варто було би прочитати хоча б заради цих рядків:
Моторошна краса майже не сягає межі відрази, бо її довершує насамперед зважність героя; і супроводжує вона нас з початку та до самого кінця, де можна пережити те, що підсумує враження радше оцінкою 5, аніж 4.
For, what with my whole world-wide wandering,
What with my search drawn out thro' years, my hope
Dwindled into a ghost not fit to cope
With that obstreperous joy success would bring,
I hardly tried now to rebuke the spring
My heart made, finding failure in its scope.
Моторошна краса майже не сягає межі відрази, бо її довершує насамперед зважність героя; і супроводжує вона нас з початку та до самого кінця, де можна пережити те, що підсумує враження радше оцінкою 5, аніж 4.
May 31, 2021
Вічні відсилання до цього вірша (Джівс його дуже любить), вічні уривки; сьогодні нарешті прочитав
May 16, 2018
5.0⭐ “See Or shut your eyes”
(Interpretation spoilers, but this review and the links at the bottom are free of Dark Tower Series spoilers and the links provided might help if you're struggling to understand this particular work)
I’m on my way to the Tower, Book III The Waste Lands, and I took a quick pause to read Charlie The Choo Choo and Childe Roland To The Dark Tower Came.
I approach this review with humility. Poetry, save for postmodern, is a major literary weakness for me. I struggle with the antiquated language and my gnat-like attention span. I read this poem entirely alone first, then looked into the world for some analysis. My initial take on it was just a bit confused, although the dread, fear, and other hellish implications of the protag and setting were not lost on me. I saw a man on a journey, and the man had little hope. The land he was treading was spiritually cursed and the goal seemed insurmountable.
By the end, I was just struggling to understand the bigger picture and the point the author was trying to get across.
Cheers to living in the age of internet, there are other humans in the world who poetry and graciously share their wisdom. I’ve come away from their break-downs with not just an understanding, but enough connection to the work to personally relate to it.
There’s a lot of speculation to what the Tower is. Some people think it is a work of art. Some think it is death. I can see either perspective, but myself relate to the art interpretation. One major reason for this is that Childe Roland had a choice to take the road leading to the tower, and death is rarely if ever, a choice.
Huge shout out to Justin Serna (may all his hot wings be blessed) for the most thorough breakdown I could find. He explained the work, peppered in literary scholar opinions, and gave terse explanations on poetic form. He goes slow, but you can speed up the vid to 1.25 or 1.5 if you need. 1.25 was perfect for me.
For anyone interested, Dan Thurber did a fast and brilliant breakdown of the history of Childe Roland in folklore going back before the Browning poem, time line included. (You can also follow him here on Goodreads.)
Lastly, if you’d like to hear a reading of Childe Roland, I recommend this popular performance by Seth Hunter Perkins which is both evocative and vivid.
If you’ve got a hot drink, sip it now before it goes cold on you. Thanks for reading! - 📚☕♥
(Interpretation spoilers, but this review and the links at the bottom are free of Dark Tower Series spoilers and the links provided might help if you're struggling to understand this particular work)
I’m on my way to the Tower, Book III The Waste Lands, and I took a quick pause to read Charlie The Choo Choo and Childe Roland To The Dark Tower Came.
I approach this review with humility. Poetry, save for postmodern, is a major literary weakness for me. I struggle with the antiquated language and my gnat-like attention span. I read this poem entirely alone first, then looked into the world for some analysis. My initial take on it was just a bit confused, although the dread, fear, and other hellish implications of the protag and setting were not lost on me. I saw a man on a journey, and the man had little hope. The land he was treading was spiritually cursed and the goal seemed insurmountable.
By the end, I was just struggling to understand the bigger picture and the point the author was trying to get across.
Cheers to living in the age of internet, there are other humans in the world who poetry and graciously share their wisdom. I’ve come away from their break-downs with not just an understanding, but enough connection to the work to personally relate to it.
There’s a lot of speculation to what the Tower is. Some people think it is a work of art. Some think it is death. I can see either perspective, but myself relate to the art interpretation. One major reason for this is that Childe Roland had a choice to take the road leading to the tower, and death is rarely if ever, a choice.
Huge shout out to Justin Serna (may all his hot wings be blessed) for the most thorough breakdown I could find. He explained the work, peppered in literary scholar opinions, and gave terse explanations on poetic form. He goes slow, but you can speed up the vid to 1.25 or 1.5 if you need. 1.25 was perfect for me.
For anyone interested, Dan Thurber did a fast and brilliant breakdown of the history of Childe Roland in folklore going back before the Browning poem, time line included. (You can also follow him here on Goodreads.)
Lastly, if you’d like to hear a reading of Childe Roland, I recommend this popular performance by Seth Hunter Perkins which is both evocative and vivid.
If you’ve got a hot drink, sip it now before it goes cold on you. Thanks for reading! - 📚☕♥
November 3, 2016
The change between a barren wasteland, to “happier sights,” and then to unpleasant imagery can be interpreted as 3 metaphors for his mental state.
As the untested knight begins his journey, his mind becomes influenced by the reality of evil: “In the dock’s harsh swarth leaves, bruised as to balk/ All hope of greenness?/ …Pashing their life out…” Before the mind can protect itself with ignorance, it may become blank: “Alive? he might be dead for aught I know…” as well as, “[one] stiff blind horse.”
Next, the mind may return to “happier sights” in order to abandon its current disorder. In this scene, our knight returns to the past, but it is a brief moment of reflection; our narrator returns to his journey within just three stanzas. In these several lines, we are given: “I fancied Cuthbert’s reddening face,” “Good—but the scene shifts—faugh!...” and, “Pin to his breast a parchment? His own bands/ Read it. Poor traitor, spit upon and cursed!” The contrast between a 1) blank, 2) reminiscing, and 3) fearful state of mind, loses power in these stanzas. Before and after are vivid and detailed, whereas the in-between is fleeting and elusive.
When the mind returns to the journey at hand with the realization that the past cannot save him, reality hits like the predisposition to accept temptation: “A sudden river crossed [his] path/ As unexpected as a serpent comes…” He walks the same footsteps as those who came before him, but they were engulfed in the knowledge of evil and it swallowed them whole.
Our knight’s mind races with their memory, a clear picture of his likely future: “To set my foot upon a dead man’s cheek,/ …For hollows, tangled in his hair or beard!...” “Toads in a poisoned tank,/ Or wild cats in a red-hot iron cage—” and, “Broke into moss or substances like boils;/ …Like a distorted mouth that splits its rim/ Gaping at death, and dies while it recoils.” Even the Harbinger of Death, “A great black bird, Apollyon’s bosom friend” flies over way, anticipating his fate as he walks into the presence of the Dark Tower.
These images are a portrayal of an honorable, untested knight’s mindset throughout his journey.
We don’t know what his slug-horn call means, but if it’s his surrender, he buckles under the profound weight of evil.
If he succeeds, he accepts this unnerving reality, and begins to positively change it, thus becoming heroic.
As the untested knight begins his journey, his mind becomes influenced by the reality of evil: “In the dock’s harsh swarth leaves, bruised as to balk/ All hope of greenness?/ …Pashing their life out…” Before the mind can protect itself with ignorance, it may become blank: “Alive? he might be dead for aught I know…” as well as, “[one] stiff blind horse.”
Next, the mind may return to “happier sights” in order to abandon its current disorder. In this scene, our knight returns to the past, but it is a brief moment of reflection; our narrator returns to his journey within just three stanzas. In these several lines, we are given: “I fancied Cuthbert’s reddening face,” “Good—but the scene shifts—faugh!...” and, “Pin to his breast a parchment? His own bands/ Read it. Poor traitor, spit upon and cursed!” The contrast between a 1) blank, 2) reminiscing, and 3) fearful state of mind, loses power in these stanzas. Before and after are vivid and detailed, whereas the in-between is fleeting and elusive.
When the mind returns to the journey at hand with the realization that the past cannot save him, reality hits like the predisposition to accept temptation: “A sudden river crossed [his] path/ As unexpected as a serpent comes…” He walks the same footsteps as those who came before him, but they were engulfed in the knowledge of evil and it swallowed them whole.
Our knight’s mind races with their memory, a clear picture of his likely future: “To set my foot upon a dead man’s cheek,/ …For hollows, tangled in his hair or beard!...” “Toads in a poisoned tank,/ Or wild cats in a red-hot iron cage—” and, “Broke into moss or substances like boils;/ …Like a distorted mouth that splits its rim/ Gaping at death, and dies while it recoils.” Even the Harbinger of Death, “A great black bird, Apollyon’s bosom friend” flies over way, anticipating his fate as he walks into the presence of the Dark Tower.
These images are a portrayal of an honorable, untested knight’s mindset throughout his journey.
We don’t know what his slug-horn call means, but if it’s his surrender, he buckles under the profound weight of evil.
If he succeeds, he accepts this unnerving reality, and begins to positively change it, thus becoming heroic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2020
Mario L. D'Avanzo writes "Browning's road to the Dark Tower reveals an adaptive, fertile imagination that also dissolves diffuses, dissipates its sources in order to recreate a unity of poetic form." In short, how is it possible that Browning could grab bits from every literary masterpiece on his bookshelf, chuck them all together and end up with a poem of such originality and inovation?
I have found my way at this poem, as I'm sure many have, from Stephen King's masterful Dark Tower series. King's series is one smothered in literary allusions. As the series progresses King throws more and more references and elements from other sources into the mix, whether it's ruby slippers, snitches or lightsabres. And the origin of this is clear when one examines his source material. Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came is a poem that stands proudly on it's influences. Roland's journey to the Dark Tower is one that permeates time and thought and art, and history as we know it.
It is so fitting that King's series is one based on a series of stories he wrote for a sci-fi magazine...
which in turn was based on Browning's Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came...
which in turn was based on a single line from Shakespeare's King Lear...
a phrase uttered by a man feigning insanity.
What's next? A story about King himself approaching the writing of this story? Oh wait, he actually included this in the final instalments of his series!
I feel no guilt for talking about this two great works of art as so entwined. They are groundbreaking in their subversion of traditional literary forms. Would this poem pack the same punch if it weren't so seeped in history? Probably not. So what? That doesn't matter. Yes, Stephen King's frequent arrays into meta in the Dark Tower series are weird and you have to read them a few times to get close to understanding them. That doesn't matter either. These two pieces are kinda mind-boggling and that is their way of achieving true originality.
I have found my way at this poem, as I'm sure many have, from Stephen King's masterful Dark Tower series. King's series is one smothered in literary allusions. As the series progresses King throws more and more references and elements from other sources into the mix, whether it's ruby slippers, snitches or lightsabres. And the origin of this is clear when one examines his source material. Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came is a poem that stands proudly on it's influences. Roland's journey to the Dark Tower is one that permeates time and thought and art, and history as we know it.
It is so fitting that King's series is one based on a series of stories he wrote for a sci-fi magazine...
which in turn was based on Browning's Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came...
which in turn was based on a single line from Shakespeare's King Lear...
a phrase uttered by a man feigning insanity.
What's next? A story about King himself approaching the writing of this story? Oh wait, he actually included this in the final instalments of his series!
I feel no guilt for talking about this two great works of art as so entwined. They are groundbreaking in their subversion of traditional literary forms. Would this poem pack the same punch if it weren't so seeped in history? Probably not. So what? That doesn't matter. Yes, Stephen King's frequent arrays into meta in the Dark Tower series are weird and you have to read them a few times to get close to understanding them. That doesn't matter either. These two pieces are kinda mind-boggling and that is their way of achieving true originality.
June 30, 2023
I came to this poem straight from the last few pages of Aldous Huxley's "Heaven and Hell", which are the only few pages in it that actually deal with Hell - the negative visionary experience, or bad trip - at all. This poem is the extremely bleak story of a knight's journey through a dead, hostile landscape towards the ominous Dark Tower of the title. It made me think of Odysseus in the underworld, the journey of the soldiers in Sam Mendes' film "1917", the part in the swamp in "The NeverEnding Story", and another terrifying children's film, "The Labyrinth". In contrast to those stories though, where the protagonists at least begin their journey into the dark world young, strong, and pure-hearted, and thus seem to have a fighting chance, here the knight seems already resigned to defeat right from the opening lines. He is finishing out his task like an unwilling automaton, any appetite for adventure seemingly having left him long ago. Another thing the poem reminds me of is a painting, Anselm Kiefer's "The Renowned Orders of the Night", where again the figure of a man is pitted against a dark, immense, seemingly incomprehensible universe. These are not fun pieces of art to dwell on, but I think they do something very powerful. I have the sense of the painter there and the poet here basically inhabiting a panic attack, forcing himself to sit with it and transmute it into a piece of art, daring himself to go right up to ends of his darkest fear and capture its power by outlasting it. Without spoiling anything, the last lines to me ring very loud and clear over the rest of the poem.
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April 24, 2025April 2025, Montana.
I dig it. The haunting and surreal, nightmarish imagery. I felt the wait of trudging toward a goal while losing any motivation beyond that of taking one more step.
"neither pride Nor hope rekindling at the end
descried So much as gladness that some end might be."
I've often thought that perseverance, or just dogged tenacity is the greatest virtue.
Though... A stern voice from my past reminds me of the importance of finishing strong.
Maybe sometimes it is just enough to finish. To crawl across the finish line, or die dragging oneself forward.
Ah, I love poetry.
I dig it. The haunting and surreal, nightmarish imagery. I felt the wait of trudging toward a goal while losing any motivation beyond that of taking one more step.
"neither pride Nor hope rekindling at the end
descried So much as gladness that some end might be."
I've often thought that perseverance, or just dogged tenacity is the greatest virtue.
Though... A stern voice from my past reminds me of the importance of finishing strong.
Maybe sometimes it is just enough to finish. To crawl across the finish line, or die dragging oneself forward.
Ah, I love poetry.
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