Acquainted with the Night Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. Is the line "I have been one acquainted with the night" written that way to fit into Frost's iambic pentameter rhythm scheme, or does the structure of this line say something about the meaning of the poem?
  2. What aspects of life or history do you think the word "night" could symbolize in this poem?
  3. Does the speaker stop the sound of his feet because he thinks the cry is for him, or does the cry just startle him, and he only thinks that it could be for him after he stops?
  4. Do you think that this entire poem happens on one night, or on lots of different nights?
  5. How do you think being "acquainted with the night" makes the speaker feel? Is he dealing with serious depression, or is he just melancholy?