Robert Frost’s, “Acquainted with the Night,” was written in 1928 and it is as haunting and lovely as any of his other works . The narrator of the poem possesses qualities typical of Frost’s narrators, as he assesses the loneliness of life, as well as the inevitability of death. Depression, as well as Frost’s unusual iambic pentameter use is also present. He is not one for rhyming, but instead uses a slow, steady cadence to draw the reader down a slow, almost familiar path that will inevitably lead us baffled at out so much could be said in such a small poem.
As mentioned in, “Robert Frost in Context,” Frost rarely used what were considered typical iambic pentameter when writing poetry . “Acquainted with the Night” is written in the traditional sonnet format, equaling fourteen lines and an iambic pentameter that presents a third rhyme scheme, which was thought to be relatively difficult to achieve in the English language . The sonnet-like format in which he used for the poem may be why the depressive, melancholy like state of the narrator appears to emulate so many narrators, and poets before him. As the narrator walks the desolate streets, becoming acquainted with the night so to speak, the reader is reminded of more than just depression. The poem stirs memories of Shakespeare and Browning. Though the various word choices do the poem justice, the iambic pentameter alone is enough to emulate certain feelings.
The fact that the poem emulates Shakespeare and Browning is no coincidence. There may also be a reason one feels remnants of Poe and Dickinson, as well. “Acquainted with the Night” seems to be about the narrators struggle to understand his or her own depression. Isolation appears to be the key factor in the acquaintanceship between the narrator and their depression, as the word, “I,” is stressed at the beginning of the first three lines of the opening stanza . “I have been one acquainted with the night./ I have walked out in the rain – and back in the rain./ I have outwalked the furthest city light.” All suggest the narrator feels as though they are struggling with a feeling that nobody else can understand, and perhaps not even comprehend . The following lines also begin with, “I,” and further suggest that the narrator feels isolated and solitary. “I have looked down the saddest city lane./ I have passed by the watchman on his beat/ And dropped my eyes unwilling to explain .” The narrator is unable to make eye contact with the watchman, or explain why he is out walking the streets, attempting to integrate with normal society. It suggests that perhaps the depression has become so overwhelming that they are unable to interact at all, or that they are simply doing something to break the spell the depression as over them . Perhaps the inability to make eye contact, or the avoidance of it, also means the narrator simply does not want to make eye contact, but only pass the time because there is nothing for them at home, and at least on the streets there is something to occupy them.
The symbolism of depression is additionally impressed upon the poem because the narrator only comes out of their home at night, evidently in order to become acquainted with it, but also themselves. While optimistic, happy people are normally associated with the sun, or daylight, the narrator leaves their home during the night in a state of sadness and depression, only acquainting himself or herself with darkness. Unfortunately, this still does not allow them to find anybody that understands them, despite the idea that other depressed people might also be wandering the streets during the dark hours. The darkness becomes slightly more symbolic as the reader realizes the depression has become so disillusioning for the narrator that they are no longer using the same standard methods of time as “normal” people. While others use clocks, which allow individuals to ascertain definitive moments for each second of the day, the narrator only on, “One luminary clock against the sky .” More strange still is the narrator is not telling time by the sun, as is traditional, but they are using the moon, because they are out at night. Ironically, because the cover of darkness is the only time in which the narrator allows himself or herself to leave their home they are denied ample chances to meet people that may help them with their depression. The poem is not fraught with social interaction, but occasional avoidances. Essentially, the narrator’s acquaintance with the night has only built a security blanket that has allowed a cycle of depression to develop. The narrator lives in darkness, feels comfortable in darkness, and tells time by the moon. There is no true light to help them escape.
Frost’s poem is hallowed with the uncertainty and pain of a sad life and the weight of depression. Moreover, the poem brings no resolution for the narrator, but instead ends with them simply explaining again that they have been acquainted with the night. They reaffirm their solitude, as well as the feelings of depression, showing the reader that perhaps there is no hope for individuals who fall into cycle of comfort that only feeds their mental illness. The iambic pentameter of the poem is haunting and bleak; one can feel the narrator’s desperation that has now turned to a shallow acceptance. The subtle use of, “I,” as well as the few small social interactions the narrator encounters show that their depression is rampant and, though the sun may rise when the moon sets, they will surely return to be reacquainted with the night and their depression soon enough.
References
Frost, Robert. "Acquanted with the Night." Kendal, Tim. The Art of Robert Frost. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2012. 103. Book.
Richardson, Mark. Robert Frost in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014. Book.
Veale, Tony. "Less Ryhme, More Reason: Knowledge Based Poetry Generation with Feeling, Insight, and Wit." Computational Creativity (2013): 152-159. Article.
