He then hears “an interrupted cry…from another street” but has no knowledge of why the cry is sounded or what it means. By becoming a silent observer on the outskirts of the city, he is no longer a part of the rhythms of city life, nor are they a part of him. Life continues, and he knows that the cry is not intended to “call [him] back or say good-by.” He willingly leaves society behind in order to seek solitude. Then, in the distance, he sees “at an unearthly height/ One luminary clock against the sky.” It is the “luminary clock” that provides the only light on the poet’s trip out of the city since he passed beyond the city light at the beginning of his journey.
In the final couplet, the poet states that the clock “proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.” The clock, which may be a symbol of the moon or of time itself, gives a sense of the ambiguity of time in the poet’s existence—that it is neither wrong nor right. Nevertheless, in the final line of the poem, the poet confidently restates his original assertion—“I have been one acquainted with the night.” Although he feels isolated to some extent from both himself and from society, and though he feels a sense of uncertainty about time and life, he at least retains some sense of who he is: someone who is still on a journey to know himself better.
Forms and Devices
Frost uses symbolism and imagery to set a mood of not just isolation and loneliness but also quiet and solitude. Themes such as rain, night, unearthly height, and sad city lanes evoke these feelings of both isolation and quietness. Yet, as Frost represents these images, they also seem to promote a feeling of reflection in his escape from the city to the quiet darkness of the surrounding countryside.
The “luminary clock” is symbolic of time, either natural or as constructed by humanity. This clock, which the poet sees at “an unearthly height,” can be interpreted as either the moon or a clock in a tower situated high above the city. Yet whether the clock is natural or human-made, it has much to say to the poet as he observes it from the dark outskirts of town. When he says that the clock “proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right,” he is given pause to consider his life and all its questions and possibilities. Characterizing the time as not right but also not wrong suggests a certain relativity or ambiguity concerning time and life.
Frost also uses the journey motif in this poem. When he speaks of going into the rain and coming back again, he suggests that he is on a journey, one that is not yet complete. In this poem, the night represents his destination—the poet’s own inner life, possibly self-knowledge. The poet, then, feels at least partially alienated from himself in much the same way that the night promotes a feeling of alienation from other people.
Because Frost characterizes the night—his own inner life—as something he does not fully know, something he is only acquainted with, the reader knows that the journey is still incomplete; full self-knowledge has not yet been achieved. The poet’s journey takes him beyond the “city light” or society itself. Because he presents himself as a silent observer of the sounds and activities of the city, it is also evident that the poet feels alienated from society as well as from himself. The poet does not seem to be looking for a better understanding of society, though, since he refuses to make eye contact with the city watchman. He is more concerned with going out into the night, to learn more about himself. Yet, he does not seem to be in a hurry; the luminary clock itself tells him that the time for self-knowledge is “neither wrong nor right.” The journey in this poem ends as it begins, with the poet’s statement that he “is one acquainted with the night.” The poet seems content to continue the journey, perhaps sensing that it is a journey that will continue throughout his life.
Another device that Frost uses in this poem is a conversational tone. The sonnet is simple and direct, giving the reader a sense of identification with the poet. Frost speaks directly to the reader, relating his thoughts and feelings in straightforward, easily understood diction. Only in his use of symbols and images does he attach unusual meanings and associations to the words he chooses to convey his ideas.
Themes and Meanings
In “Acquainted with the Night” Frost embraces the night as an entity with which he is familiar. The phrase “acquainted with the night” itself is an unusual one in that an acquaintance is usually not considered a close friend but someone or something that is known only superficially. However, in this poem, the tone is one of quiet acceptance of the night as, if not an intimate friend, at least a familiar aspect of his life, and thus it appears that the night symbolizes more than just isolation or loneliness. It represents the poet’s inner self as well, a self with which he is acquainted but does not know well. The poet’s journey into the night, then, can be seen as ongoing and continual, progressing to a more complete self-knowledge.
If the poet does not know himself, then his acquaintance with society, as symbolized by the city light, is even more tenuous. He listens to the sounds of the city but is not a part of it; he sees the city watchman but avoids any contact with him.
Frost’s poetry often contains darkness, whether it be dark woods or the dark night. For Frost, the darkness evokes a sense of quiet and calm. Embracing the solitude and isolation of night and its accompanying darkness, the poet illustrates that for him the world is a dichotomy. There is the dark and quiet world beyond the “furthest city light,” and there is the city itself, with its watchman, its clock, and its responsibilities. The poet, seeking self-knowledge and the solitude he obviously treasures, journeys out into the night, where he is sure to find these things. While for many people the night and its accompanying sense of isolation is a melancholy and lonely time, Frost welcomes it as a time of introspection, willingly journeying out to meet it.
Furthermore, Frost knows that he has a foot in both worlds—in his own inner, personal world, symbolized by the night, and in society, symbolized by the city lights and the clock—as do most poets. Knowing the importance of being alone in order to produce his poetry, he also knows he must return to society with its time constraints and its responsibilities. He instinctively understands that he must obtain a balance between these two opposing worlds. As a poet, these temporal considerations detract from his creativity, but as a productive member of society, he knows he must function within the confines of that society. Frost ends his poem in the only possible way, by reiterating his initial assertion about himself: “I have been one acquainted with the night.”
