‘Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came’ by Robert Browning is journey of perseverance in a desolate landscape, confronting fear and embracing defiance against insurmountable odds.
In this poem, dusk symbolizes the liminal state between light and darkness, mirroring the protagonist's psychological journey. It signifies uncertainty, transition, and the approaching end. As Roland confronts the Tower at dusk, it underscores his inner turmoil and the culmination of his quest. The poem uses dusk to evoke a sense of foreboding and the inevitability of confronting one's deepest fears.
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