Acquainted With The Night
Acquainted with the Night was a short poem written in 1928, by a great American author named Robert Frost. At an early age, Frost dealt with many dilemmas; his father died of tuberculosis when Frost was 11, and his mother to cancer when he was 26 (Robert).These few of many tragic events caused Frost’s depression, and poetry was the one thing that held him together. Throughout Acquainted with the Night, there are endless examples of Frost’s depression. Words such as darkness, loneliness, and rain are words that set the theme of depression and social atmosphere, which really symbolizes what Frost’s poem was about. Frost’s poem is interpreted different ways, and that is one of the reasons why he is such a great writer. Robert Frost’s poem Acquainted with the Night is about his depression, which he interprets through metaphors, symbolism, and the social atmosphere throughout his poem.
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According to the Mayo Clinic, depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.
Although Frost’s poem never clearly states that his poem is about depression, it is interpreted through his poem. A major metaphor is established in the title; “Acquainted with the Night”, the “Night” is meant to represent depression which is the theme throughout the poem (Dodd). Another example of a metaphor is “I have looked down the saddest city lanes”, here frost is actually talking about his depressed life (Roberts). Depression is the main theme throughout this poem because Frost experienced signs and symptoms of depression throughout his life. Robert Frost writes about the darkness that many people face, and how on a long enough timeline it ceases to be anything but a regular part of their life (Dodd). These metaphors affect the meaning of them by making readers realizing the feelings portrayed by
Frost. Symbolism is used throughout Frost’s poem to show his alienation from the rest of the world which is another sign of depression. In line five through six Frost says “I have passed by the watchman on his beat and dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain”, this shows that Frost is afraid confrontation and afraid of what others will say of him (Roberts). Another major sign of symbolism throughout this poem is the “luminary clock”, which is can be considered as the moon. The moon to Frost stands for hope in humanity which is irony because someone who deals with depression does not have much hope. Loneliness is a major aspect of depression and Frost even displays this through symbolism. “When far away came an interrupted cry came over the houses from another street but not to call me back or say goodbye”; in these lines, Frost is showing that no one wants him. Also that no one is looking for him or calling for him. Symbolism affects this poem because it also gives the readers a first look at what the narrator is feeling. It can also make stories more complex and harder to understand, but that is not the case in Frost’s essay. The Social Atmosphere can be developed through a story by many different factors, but the main thing that affects it is the theme of the story. The theme of depression through this story creates a dark and lonely atmosphere, as the narrator is walking through a town at night time.
According to the Mayo Clinic, depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.
Although Frost’s poem never clearly states that his poem is about depression, it is interpreted through his poem. A major metaphor is established in the title; “Acquainted with the Night”, the “Night” is meant to represent depression which is the theme throughout the poem (Dodd). Another example of a metaphor is “I have looked down the saddest city lanes”, here frost is actually talking about his depressed life (Roberts). Depression is the main theme throughout this poem because Frost experienced signs and symptoms of depression throughout his life. Robert Frost writes about the darkness that many people face, and how on a long enough timeline it ceases to be anything but a regular part of their life (Dodd). These metaphors affect the meaning of them by making readers realizing the feelings portrayed by
Frost. Symbolism is used throughout Frost’s poem to show his alienation from the rest of the world which is another sign of depression. In line five through six Frost says “I have passed by the watchman on his beat and dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain”, this shows that Frost is afraid confrontation and afraid of what others will say of him (Roberts). Another major sign of symbolism throughout this poem is the “luminary clock”, which is can be considered as the moon. The moon to Frost stands for hope in humanity which is irony because someone who deals with depression does not have much hope. Loneliness is a major aspect of depression and Frost even displays this through symbolism. “When far away came an interrupted cry came over the houses from another street but not to call me back or say goodbye”; in these lines, Frost is showing that no one wants him. Also that no one is looking for him or calling for him. Symbolism affects this poem because it also gives the readers a first look at what the narrator is feeling. It can also make stories more complex and harder to understand, but that is not the case in Frost’s essay. The Social Atmosphere can be developed through a story by many different factors, but the main thing that affects it is the theme of the story. The theme of depression through this story creates a dark and lonely atmosphere, as the narrator is walking through a town at night time.