I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain – and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.
I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.
I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,
But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
One luminary clock against the sky
Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.
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Proverbs 14:10 No one knows my bitterness, no one knows my joy
It is when we walk past the darkenss into the Light that one finds Jesus, Hope and Joy.
A remarkable poem by my favorite author. Frost lived a tragic life, filled with frightful pain and loss. While other poets wear their losses as badges of honor or offer them as admission tickets to the elect, Frost never did anything like that. But his poetry evokes the deep sense of loss which is life itself. It resonates throughout his poetry, from A Home Burial to this poem. More so, it says something about how we stand outside our losses, which we can neither share or embrace in others, casting our eyes ” downward so as not to explain “. What cannot be explained. This is the height of Frost’s artistry, the refusal to explain. To allow life to be more than a seminar, but a LIVED EXPERIENCE to which words can only evoke, but never explain.
Thanks for your interpretation; much appreciated.
Beautiful as always with RF’s poems. Please post ‘ The Gum Gatherer’ by Frost with a beautiful picture !! Thanks a lot.