The Dark Night

Acquainted with the Night
Robert Frost

The speaker, at first glance, is strolling through the night with no purpose. He seems lost, looking for something to guide him or give him a purpose in his dreary life. but the poem isn't so simple. Rather, the night is a metaphor for sadness or confusion. The speaker has "looked down the saddest city lane....and dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain" (Frost 976). The speaker experienced great turmoil, and doesn't know what his next steps should be in order to escape his current life. Darkness surrounds him, which makes it difficult to find a clear path to take. As long as the darkness persists, nothing can show him the way to happiness. His only source for answers are himself and vague symbols in the night, like the moon. With such little help, the speaker is bound to be trapped in this depression, waiting for the day to come. The light may never shine on him, if someone doesn't come to his aid.