Dark Night of the Soul Poem by John of the CrossPremium Off White Cream Pages Stitched Binding Matte Cover Local Premium Copy Language English Dimensions 5. 5 x 8. 26 inches Pages Amount 169 Summary "Dark Night of the Soul" (Spanish: La noche oscura del alma) is a 16th century poem by the Spanish mystic and Carmelite friar St. John of the Cross. Written likely between 1577 and 1579, possibly during his imprisonment in Toledo, it describes the soul's journey toward mystical union with God.