In "Acquainted with the Night" by Robert Frost, the character speaks on their rather unusual and saddening experiences with “the night”. The imagery and diction in this poem create a solemn and depressing mood. It is difficult for a reader to miss the darkness and feeling of loneliness throughout this poem. These aspects of the poem molded my emotional response.
At first, I read through the poem superficially – noticing word selection and verse structure. As I passed upon words and phrases such as “interrupted cry” and “the saddest city lane”, my attention drifted to the weight and matter of this poem. In reading through a second time, I felt my heart go out to the character because of the vivid focus on loneliness. This poem paints a clear picture of a person who nearly knows too much about something as simple as an ordinary night because of the fact that they are lonely. Their time is not being spent with family, friends, or just people in general but instead with the night.
When someone can say that they have “outwalked the furthest city light” and have “looked down the saddest city lane”, it may be easy to infer that their basis and relationship with the night is not normal compared to that of others’. The idea that someone could be so lonely and underwhelmed breaks my heart and makes me remember my own personal experience and struggle with loneliness. This poem took me back to my freshman year at Azusa Pacific University.
After imagining what kind of day to day life this character lived and what a struggle it may have been for them to cope with their loneliness, I was instantly reminded of my life a year ago. The beginning of my freshman year brought a lot of empty and lonely feelings. I felt as though I had taken a huge leap of faith and ultimately, it was going to either break or make me. However, it proved rather disheartening; I was constantly feeling homesick and being six hours away from home was rough on my emotional stability. I did not know anyone or have any high school friends attending Azusa Pacific so I was experiencing college in completely blindness. In addition, I was a freshman biochemistry major which added onto the accumulating stress. For the first time in my life, I felt lost in all aspects and did not know how to cope with all the change and newness taking place in my life. I was completely taken out of my comfort zone with no direction.
But as time went on, I took charge and made my freshman year what I wanted it to be. Even though I look back now and think how foolish of myself, I know that those feelings of loneliness are ones I never want to experience again. After reminiscing, I figured that it is because of my own personal experience with loneliness that drew my attention and I to this poem.
I can use this poem as a reminder and a slight liberation from loneliness. In studying and using this poem throughout a semester, I can remind myself of the past and be thankful for my present. Now, I realize that this poem is perfect from my master project because it has proven to provoke a strong emotional response in myself.
