In Praise of Darkness

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1969

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Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Further Reading & Resources

Related Poems

“Emerson” by Jorges Luis Borges (1972)

This elegiac sonnet reflects Borges’s great respect for Ralph Waldo Emerson and the poetic influence that poet had on the works of Borges. Emerson is listed in Line 42 of “In Praise of Darkness.” Furthermore, the elegiac characteristics of “Emerson” mirror the mournful characteristics of “In Praise of Darkness.”

“On His Blindness” by Jorge Luis Borges (1985)

This is another Borges poem that illuminates the poet’s thoughts on blindness, with allusions to the 17th-century English poet John Milton, another famous poet who lost his sight. The two poems have distinctly different impressions of blindness, with “On His Blindness” presenting blindness in a far more negative light than the ode of praise discussed in this guide.

“The Second Coming” by William Butler Yeats (1919)

While disconnected in terms of subject, “The Second Coming” and “In Praise of Darkness” share many of the same motifs, including centers, darkness, and the loss of capabilities. However, while these elements are destructive in Yeats’s poem, they appear almost triumphal in Borges’s.

Further Literary Resources

“In Praise Of Darkness: For Orchestra With Concertante for Celesta and Harp” by Mary Finsterer (2009)

This is an orchestral score based on the works of Borges. It demonstrates how his work has not only moved between the literary genres of fiction and poetry, but also moved into other mediums. You can listen to the ASKO and Schönberg Ensembles perform this piece on YouTube.

The Library of Babel by Jonathan Basile

Borges’s influence has also moved online. This website is an unfinished experiment in making Borges’s fictional infinite library a (virtual) reality. It connects to the theme of the speaker’s Relationship to Literature in “In Praise of Darkness.” More about this project can be found on The Paris Review.

“Jorge Luis Borges, The Art of Fiction No. 39” by Ronald Christ (1967)

An interview with Borges for The Paris Review.

“Borges and Emerson: The Poet as Intellectual” by W. Kenneth Holditch (1986)

This essay offers more context for the connection between Borges and Emerson. Emerson is directly named in Line 42 of “In Praise of Darkness.”

“Intimations on a Possible Immortality” by Thomas E. Lyon (1986)

This essay offers an argument about ambiguity surrounding the afterlife in “In Praise of Darkness” and other works by Borges.