"Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came"
1885
Oil on Canvas
Thomas Moran
"Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" originally appears in William Shakespeare's play King Lear (Act 3, Scene 4), where it is spoken by Edgar in his guise as Tom o' Bedlam. This single line, filled with mysterious and evocative imagery, inspired Robert Browning to write a poem that would expand on the haunting journey hinted at by Shakespeare.
Robert Browning’s "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" was published in 1855 as part of his collection *Men and Women*. Browning crafted the poem as a dramatic monologue, a form for which he is well-known. The poem is narrated by Childe Roland, a knight on a seemingly doomed quest to reach the Dark Tower. The journey is fraught with ominous and desolate landscapes, strange and threatening encounters, and a pervasive sense of foreboding.
The poem is rich with allegory and symbolism, often interpreted as a commentary on perseverance, existential dread, and the struggles of the human condition. Browning uses vivid and bleak imagery to depict the knight’s journey through a dystopian landscape filled with references to death, decay, and ruin. The poem begins with Roland encountering a sinister figure: "My first thought was, he lied in every word." As Roland advances, the landscape becomes increasingly desolate: "For, looking up, aware I somehow grew, / 'Spite of the dusk, the plain had given place / All round to mountains — with such name to grace / Mere ugly heights and heaps now stolen in view." The poem culminates in Roland’s arrival at the Tower: "Dauntless the slug-horn to my lips I set, / And blew. 'Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came.'"
Thomas Moran, an American painter associated with the Hudson River School, was inspired by Browning’s poem to create two paintings titled "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came." The first version, painted in 1859, captures the foreboding journey of Childe Roland through a desolate landscape, emphasizing the bleak and ominous atmosphere described in Browning’s poem. This version is housed in the Denver Art Museum. The second version, created in 1889, shows Roland arriving at the Dark Tower. It captures the culmination of his quest, with a dramatic and haunting portrayal of the Tower itself.
Stephen King has often cited Browning’s poem as a major influence on his Dark Tower series. King’s epic narrative, spanning eight books, follows the gunslinger Roland Deschain on his quest to reach the Dark Tower, which is the linchpin of all realities. King's series weaves together elements from Browning’s poem, Moran’s paintings, and a wide array of other literary and cultural references. The name "Roland" and the central quest for the Dark Tower are directly taken from Browning’s work. Themes of perseverance, destiny, and the hero’s journey are deeply embedded in both Browning’s poem and King’s series. King’s narrative also explores the dark, surreal landscapes and encounters reminiscent of those described in Browning’s poem.
"Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" stands as a powerful and enduring work, originating from a single line in Shakespeare, expanded into a full poem by Browning, visually interpreted by Moran, and ultimately inspiring an epic modern saga by King. Each iteration adds layers of meaning and connection, illustrating the timeless nature of the quest motif and its resonance across different art forms and generations.