The City of Dreadful Night

This long poem written by Scottish author James Thomson is a notable literary accomplishment on several levels. It offers a no-holds-barred account of the seedy underbelly of London's nightlife in the late nineteenth century that stands in sharp contrast to the more popular vision that was advanced in many other Victorian-era novels and poems. On another level, the poem is an eloquent description of the despair one can fall into after losing one's faith—whether in a higher power, in oneself, or in the inherent goodness of humanity. The City of Dreadful Night is a must-read for fans of traditional verse.