The Night is Darkening Round Me: Poem Analysis

The night is darkening round me,

The wild winds coldly blow ;

But a tyrant spell has bound me,

And I cannot, cannot go. 

The giant trees are bending

Their bare boughs weighed with snow ;

The storm is fast descending,

And yet I cannot go. 

Clouds beyond clouds above me,

Wastes beyond wastes below 

But nothing drear can move me :

I will not, cannot go.

This poem was written by Emily Brönte in the first half of the nineteenth century

What I am most curious about this poem is whether the author is implying that she wants to go or not, when it is written "I cannot go". This is because even though I have an impression of a trapped person, when the author repeats "I cannot go", However, in the last verse, the author adds: "I will not", paving the way for a possibility that she chooses not to "go".The first stanza gives us a particularly dark impression, as it starts with the name of the poem: "The Night is Darkening Round me". The perception of being imprisoned is expanded upon in the second stanza, as it implies that the top of the trees are closer to the ground, due to snow as well as the fact that it talks about the trees being down. The words "but nothing drear can move me" provide a feeling of being enclosed. That is because it is written that clouds are at the top, waste is below, but the author cannot be moved. 

In the second last line, the word drear is used, which is similar to gloomy. In that case, the implication seems to be that no negative aspect can move her. In addition, she seems, looking at the previous stanzas to be surrounded by nature. Therefore, it is for to assume that the author at first, does not wish do go because of the weather, but later simply chooses not to leave.