On a basic level, you have a few settings for the starter image from
which to expand outwards. My reading ( and I invite you to create
your own) of the starter image is that it is a description of a dual
world, one in which the person is buried alive in a marble tomb with
no light, which at the same time is mirrored in the "above" world by
being trapped inside one's body as a sort of creative/spiritual tomb.
In this sense, it is directly derived from Elizabethan theories of
existence of "as above, so below", in which everything in heaven is
mirrored on earth. The twist is, "as above so below" is moved to a
focal plane of earth and hell. It is like taking the elevator one
floor down in a Bosch triptych.
In this reference frame, you can then read different qualities to
the lines of the poem. In a different frame you would see different
meanings, and so it goes, and so it should go. Rather than assigning
a specific correspondence, you can see that the weeping of the marble
walls resonates simultaneously on the level of the real properties of
stone, contemporaneous ideas of underground tombs, the musical
lamentations of both sacred and secular music, and Dowland's
signature piece, Lachrimae. Some of these belong to both worlds--the
internal, creative hell as well as the "vanitas" quality of Dowland
falling out of favor at home even as Lachrimae become more popular
abroad. The "roof despair" can refer to the inversion of the
Elizabethan world view of :as above so below: by removing salvation
from the resonance of the two worlds, but can also refer to any
number of things such as lack of inspiration "light". It can also,
again on the "real" or immediate level, have the basic feeling of
being trapped inside a real stone tomb and being unable to move the
lid.
And these that I mention, are only a few of a hundred ways to read
the poem. There are dozens of cross references to Dowland's own songs
possible, as well as the poems and songs of his contemporaries, such
as the Danyel brothers, (Grief, keep within), Fulke Greville, Greaves
and even Campion, as well as classical writers. As far as "ground"
goes, I don't read that as a pun on the musical ground, although I do
read "sleep" as a substitute for death or even poisoning as it is so
used by other poets (e.g., Care-charming sleep). Many of these words
have musical meanings, like "accent" or "relish", but such a musical
pun in this context doen not seem to have quite the right tone to my
ear. It is not, in short, Danyel's "Like as the lute delights".
Dipping into the historical side, there are countless examples from
English history and Classical Mythology which would have been well
known to the Elizabethans. References such as Antigone, St Castullus
and the Vestal Virgins are common in the literature. Specifically
looking for those who suffered the same fate twice also brings up
lesser known references, which though now obscure would have been
familiar at the time, such as the intriguing legend of Saint Otteran,
which is particularly interesting in regards to this poem and the
religious controversies of the time.
Enjoy rereading the poem and replaying the song. I always have; I
always will.
dt
At 08:58 PM 12/2/2009, you wrote:
A music student at my local college wants me to play lute
for her senior capstone recital, and one of her choices of
song is Dowland's "In Darkness Let Me Dwell". I have
pondered these words for some years now, and it seems
obvious to me that "The ground, the ground shall sorrow
be..." has multiple connotations - physically ground as in
the foundation of a building, and musically ground as in
variations on a ground. "The roof despair..." and "...walls
of marble black..." are obvious comparisons to a room or
building, but could they have musical connotations as
well?? Could the roof be the highest note in the range of
the song? Following this line of thought, what would
"The walls of marble, black" mean? Am I just pulling this
out of my hat, or did the Elizabethans talk about their
music in terms like these, other than ground?
BTW, I love Ellen Hargis' recording of this with Jacob
Heringman, lute and Mary Springfels, Viol on "A Candle
In The Dark". What are some of your favorite recordings
of "Darkness"?
Thanks,
Tom
Tom Draughon
Heartistry Music
