In four lines, Crashaw distills a bleak insight into human nature. The image is simple: divine light shines freely, yet people consistently choose moral darkness. The first couplet states this stubborn preference plainly, almost as a tired fact. But the second couplet turns the idea with a bitter wink. The speaker imagines those same lovers of darkness after death, suffering in hell—which is, after all, the ultimate darkness they claimed to desire. There, the line suggests, the charm will vanish. What felt like a thrilling rebellion or comfortable hiding place on earth becomes pure torment. The mood isn’t preachy, but wry and tightly controlled, as if the speaker is shaking his head at human folly. The sting is in the understatement: you think you love darkness now, but wait until it’s all you have. That quiet, ironic doubt gives the poem its sharp little bite.
But Men Loved Darkness rather than Light — Summary
The world's light shines, shine as it will, The world will love its darkness still. I doubt though when the world's in hell, It will not love its darkness half so well.