Summary:
“Acquainted with the Night” is a lyric poem by Robert Frost, first published in 1927 in The Virginia Quarterly Review and later included in West-Running Brook (1928). The poem explores isolation, loneliness, and personal struggle, using the metaphor of walking alone at night.
The speaker describes his familiarity with the darkness, symbolizing his deep loneliness and depression. He walks through the city in the rain, avoiding contact with others, and hears a distant cry that he knows is not meant for him. The silent moon serves as the only witness to his solitude. The poem’s repetition, somber tone, and simple yet powerful imagery emphasize the speaker’s deep sense of detachment from the world.
Frost’s use of terza rima (a three-line rhyming scheme) gives the poem a rhythmic, circular feel, mirroring the speaker’s endless cycle of loneliness.
MCQs:
- Who wrote the poem Acquainted with the Night?
A) Walt Whitman
B) Robert Frost
C) Emily Dickinson
D) William Wordsworth
Answer: B) Robert Frost - In which year was Acquainted with the Night first published?
A) 1914
B) 1923
C) 1927
D) 1932
Answer: C) 1927 - What is the central theme of the poem?
A) Joy and celebration
B) Isolation and loneliness
C) Nature’s beauty
D) Adventure and travel
Answer: B) Isolation and loneliness
Acquainted with the Night - What poetic form does Frost use in Acquainted with the Night?
A) Free verse
B) Sonnet
C) Terza rima
D) Blank verse
Answer: C) Terza rima - What does “night” symbolize in the poem?
A) Darkness and fear
B) Mystery and adventure
C) Loneliness and depression
D) The beauty of nature
Answer: C) Loneliness and depression - What does the speaker hear in the distance?
A) A bird singing
B) A dog barking
C) A cry from far away
D) A car passing by
Answer: C) A cry from far away - What is the speaker’s reaction to the distant cry?
A) He responds to it
B) He ignores it because it is not meant for him
C) He follows the sound
D) He runs away in fear
Answer: B) He ignores it because it is not meant for him - How does the poem end?
A) The speaker finds comfort in the night
B) The speaker remains trapped in loneliness
C) The speaker meets someone in the darkness
D) The speaker returns home happily
Answer: B) The speaker remains trapped in loneliness - Which literary device is most prominent in the poem?
A) Personification
B) Metaphor
C) Alliteration
D) Hyperbole
Answer: B) Metaphor - What does the “luminary clock” (moon) symbolize?
A) The passage of time
B) Hope and guidance
C) The speaker’s inner thoughts
D) The end of his journey
Answer: A) The passage of time
| Question | Answer |
| Poem Name | Acquainted with the Night |
| Poet | Robert Frost |
| Year Published | 1927 |
| Main Themes | Loneliness, Isolation, Depression, Solitude |
| Symbolism | Night = Isolation, Luminary Clock = Time & Fate |
| Tone | Melancholic, Reflective |
| Poetic Form | Terza rima (ABA BCB CDC…) |
| Famous Lines | “I have been one acquainted with the night.” |