Acquainted With The Night Figurative Language

In Robert Frost’s poem, “Acquainted with the Night”, there is a sense of melancholic loneliness of which the speaker seems to be content with. The reader sees a glimpse of his perpetual depression on a habitual night time walk. He starts by saying he is “one acquainted with the night” (line 1). He feels a sort of companionship with this time of day. Ironically enough, while most everyone else is asleep and quiet, he feels a sense of belonging. The speaker personifies the city through parallels of his own lonely depression.

is saying, and Frosts personal pain that he is suffering from that he ingrains into this poem. The

In the poem, “An Old Man’s Winter Night” Robert Frost talks of an old man living in his isolated home. Because of his age, he has trouble remembering where he is and how he got there. Through the use of diction, figurative language, and imagery, Frost accentuates a simple tale of a dying isolated man to reiterate the meaning that it is against human nature to be in isolation and by defying this notion, it causes one to become inhumane and can be the downfall to one’s life. The choice of words in the poem emphasize the old man’s dreariness and separation from humankind.

Despite its possibly being the more difficult path, Frost signifies the essence of perseverence through rhythm. Throughout the poem, Frost employs a repetitive, trance-like rhythm to compliment the speaker's struggle to fight off reality and remain in his carefree world. Furthermore, Jhan Hochman explains it as "an ingenious form of interlocking rhyme: the third unrhymed line of the first three stanzas provokes the subsequent stanza's rhymed sound" (Hochman 4). Frost's use of rhythm is an eloquent and clever element that expresses the weak and weary state of the speaker in his moment of a life-changing decision. Yet, in the last stanza frost brings his flowing lines to an abrupt halt with "But I have promises to keep" (Frost 13). With this line, Frost not only shifts the meter of the poem, but also signifies the speaker's realization that he cannot give up or quit because of the life commitments he has made. Frost powerfully uses the rhythm in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" to emphasize the importance of choosing the path of life and all of its responsibilities instead of the easy way out.

Frost used several different words in the poem as metaphors because they were used to describe something else. For example rain, was used for the meaning of sadness or sorrow. Night, was used for describing depression or loneliness. Luminary clock, represented the light of the moon. The watchmen, I believe meant for judgment within himself. Light, represented hope. Putting meaning to the metaphors that Frost used helps you to really get a better understanding of the poem.

Frost further points out that the stretch of woods being viewed is very rural. This is made possible by the reference to the location between the woods and frozen lake. In closing the final sentence of the second stanza Frost reiterates the fact that this occurs on “the darkest evening of the year” stating the darkness of the mood.

The poem is centered around the loneliness of the narrator and about how he is unable to convey his thoughts and feelings. The poem begins and finishes with the most important line: “I have been one acquainted with the night” (Frost). Darkness, evil, and loneliness are all connotations of night, so when the narrator states he has been acquainted with the night, he means that all those connotations are extremely familiar to him.

Our lives, whether we realize it or not, revolve around emotion. When plagued with sadness, we find it hard to function; our daily lives hindered and impossible to live. When we feel jubilant, life is comfortable and satisfying. But whatever the circumstance, emotions will eventually lose their grip and sink into the river of time, forgotten until mentioned again. Depression, however, has a profound effect. Depression doesn't fade like emotion; it clings to the minds of the unfortunate souls possessing it, never surrendering its grip. It cemented itself onto the likes of Vincent Van Gogh, Mark Twain, and Robert Frost. Frost's poem "Acquainted with the night," offers insight into the life of a lonely soul affected by depression. Frost emphasizes the seclusion depression brings, isolating those who have it from the rest of the world.

There are several likenesses and differences in these poems. They each have their own meaning; each represent a separate thing and each tell a different story. However, they are all indicative of Frost’s love of the outdoors, his true enjoyment of nature and his wistfulness at growing old. He seems to look back at youth with a sad longing.

Frost uses a multitude of poetic devices, including metaphors, irony, symbolism, hyperbole, and personification “Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right. to vividly reinforce the desolation in the mind and the surroundings of the speaker. The uncertainty of the time in the end is a reflection of the uncertainty in the duration of isolation that the speaker would have to continue to endure. In conclusion, this poem displays the transition into night figuratively as the author experiences a broken heart. I have been one acquainted with the night.” (V,2 ). This is a beautiful and dark poem that describes the somber emotions that an individual endures after a separation. This poem can be relatable to anyone as we all have experienced some type of sorrow. Hopefully after experiencing something of this nature we can see the bright lights after being acquainted with the

Individuals, who feel isolated, aren’t necessarily by themselves; they could be surrounded by people but can’t find it in them to communicate with another individual. The poem, “Acquainted with the Night”, by Robert Frost explores the loneliness and despair associated with depression. Furthermore, the poem uses symbolism, irony, and metaphors to convey the perspective and response of Robert Frost towards a crisis and how it defines the writer. Due to Frost’s usage of symbolism throughout the poem, allowing the reader to catch a glimpse of the text, the reader is able to relate to the poet’s situation. Such as, “I have walked out in the rain- and back in rain”.

     Last stanza of the poem talks about the emptiness that is so overwhelming that even when Frost looks up to the sky, all that he could see or feel is still loneliness and emptiness. But then Frost mentions that the emptiness or loneliness that he fears the most isn’t the one that exist on

Right at the beginning of the poem, Frost’s unnamed speaker declares that they “have been one acquainted with the night” (Frost 1). The word acquainted implies a relationship that, while not unfriendly, lacks the close emotional connection often seen in friendship while the night itself, despite often being characterized as a symbol of death and darkness, can also be seen as a time of quiet, meditation, and peace free from the chaos of city life. Therefore, when the speaker says they “have been one acquainted

The dramatic situation of the poem becomes apparent in the second stanza, where Frost details the main conflict between the narrator and society. Although the speaker is currently walking in a city, he is alone, “[looking] down the saddest city lane” and shunning any interactions with other people, such as “the watchman on his beat”

The night symbolized death, and the walk was the person's journey to find their lost life. This poem was somewhat disturbing to me. I thought of a lost soul, thirsting to finish a mission that was not completed in life. Frost depicts death in a frightening manner with the contents of this piece of work.