The Moonlight Diction

The experience of darkness is both individual and universal. Within Emily Dickinson’s “We grow accustomed to the Dark” and Robert Frost’s “Acquainted with the Night,” the speakers engage in an understanding of darkness and night as much greater than themselves. Every individual has an experience of the isolation of the night, as chronicled in Frost’s poem, yet it is a global experience that everyone must face, on which Dickinson’s poem elaborates. Through the use of rhythm, point of view, imagery, and mood, each poet makes clear the fact that there is no single darkness that is too difficult to overcome.

The tonal shift in the poem is accomplished through word choice and conveys how life changes over time. (Word choice is the strongest indicator of tone.) The reader feels the passing of time through the gradual change in atmosphere, created by the author’s use of words with different connotations. The narrator states that each day is, “mysteriously placed in your waking hand” (Collins 2). The connotation of mysteriously implies a particular enigma or a puzzle to be solved.

Elie Wiesel's writing of Night is about his journey through getting to and going through the

In the beginning, there is very little light. It is almost dusk, and the speaker describes the smell as “dark” (7). Towards the middle and end there are various lights: lanterns, lamplight, fireflies, lamp (9, 11, 13, 20). This change over time depicts the storyteller’s significance to the speaker, because she brought enlightenment to his life. In this poem, light is a metaphor for knowledge, while darkness is a metaphor for ignorance. At the end, the old wise storyteller, who is the embodiment of wisdom, “was the lamplight” (20). In contrast, the two boys, who are young and ignorant, are “in one shadow” (21). The juxtaposition of light with darkness shows that the speaker and storyteller are opposites in their insight. Additionally, it is strange that she is a light before them, yet they are still shadowed. What is blocking the light from them? This metaphor illustrates that it takes time for people to become sage like their elders. As the speaker says, adulthood is “childhood’s aftermath,” which means that the knowledge people gain in childhood will lead them to be wise adults such as the storyteller

She takes advantage of her passion for the darkness as a way of persuading her side of the argument, placing greater favor upon the peacefulness in darkness versus chaos in the light. Also her description of her emotions when she is surrounded by darkness suggests that our busy lives in the light have taken relaxation away from our lives; darkness helps us fall back into simpler times and serenity.

The attitude of heartbreak and betrayal of the speaker caused by the woman is used to contrast the connotations of the words chosen to build on the irony. He describes the situation as "trustless"(6) and "grievous"(11) due to the anguish this woman causes. The speaker employs such words to make clear the influence that she has over his emotional state. The undertone of the poem, created by rhetoric, is pessimistic as well as resentful which contributes to the speaker's attitude towards the woman. The negative emotions of the how he feels contrasts to the emotions that this woman causes by describing "the gleams which on your face do grow" (4) and her "blazing eyes"(14). Through the use of positively connotated rhetoric when describing the physical beauty of the woman, the attitude of the speaker is established to indicate his conflicting mental state. The speaker creates images through the use of emotionally charged words to compare himself and how he feels about the woman to visual images of his

The metaphor of ‘lamplit prescences’ compares her memories to light sources, where the connotation of growth and enlightenment is attached. The enjambment evident creates for a limitless path, almost welcoming the memories back as the persona confronts the reality of her existence.

The appreciation of nature is illustrated through imagery ‘and now the country bursts open on the sea-across a calico beach unfurling’. The use of personification in the phrase ‘and the water sways’ is symbolic for life and nature, giving that water has human qualities. In contrast, ‘silver basin’ is a representation of a material creation and blends in with natural world. The poem is dominated by light and pure images of ‘sunlight rotating’ which emphasizes the emotional concept of this journey. The use of first person ‘I see from where I’m bent one of those bright crockery days that belong to so much I remember’ shapes the diverse range of imagery and mood within the poem. The poet appears to be emotional about his past considering his thoughts are stimulated by different landscapes through physical journey.

The first time the oranges are introduced, the narrator simply tells you that he is "Weighed down with two oranges in my jacket". The bright image and color of the oranges immediately begins to infuse light, happiness, and love into the scene by contrasting with the cold, frosty December atmosphere. The oranges have the ability to do this because of a connotative connection with the bright color of the oranges and light. Later, the narrator notices that the girl's porch light is always on despite the weather or the time of day. This image again brings up light that in turn reflects back to the brightness of the oranges. Then the girl appears, "Pulling at her gloves, face bright with rouge". The bright rouge color in her face links her with the oranges and their light, as well. Every image that includes light adds to the growing feeling of love and warmth within the dreary surroundings, because love and warmth are most often associated with light and happiness. This everlasting light reappears again and again throughout the poem shown through light in the girl's eyes, her smile, and the way the orange looks like fire in the boy's hands. Every contrasting image of light is linked to another and continuously intensifies the growing feeling of young love and happiness.

The use of symbolism and imagery is beautifully orchestrated in a magnificent dance of emotion that is resonated throughout the poem. The two main ideas that are keen to resurface are that of personal growth and freedom. Furthermore, at first glimpse this can be seen as a simple poem about a women’s struggle with her counterpart. However, this meaning can be interpreted more profoundly than just the causality of a bad relationship.

    As the time passes she can clearly see the woman in the paper. The woman in the paper is quiet and peaceful during the day, but at night she is imprisoned by the bars in the paper. This is reflection helps the narrator identify her own bars--her husband John. He is away during the day and at home in the same bed with her at night. She also identifies with the woman in the paper by sharing their similar routine. "At night in any kind of light, in twilight, candlelight, lamplight, and worst of all by moonlight, it becomes bars! The outside pattern I mean, and the woman behind it is as plain as can be"..."by daylight she is subdued, quiet. I fancy its the pattern that keeps her so still. It is so puzzling. It keeps me quiet by the hour".

The changing light symbolizes the Youngers’ hope of achieving their dreams, which changes as they face various obstacles. The challenges faced by the Youngers illustrate the theme of struggling to achieve one’s dream even against incessant difficulties. In the end, the Younger family learned that one must simply maintain hope and keep working to overcome the inevitable obstacles in life. Everyone at some point has experienced something that has held them back from reaching their goal, but hope must never be lost, because hope is what drives one to keep pursuing a dream against the

In a photographer’s booth, we see the symbol of light where parents are able to look on themselves from the side and they have a possibility to understand that they are intolerable to each other. “The place is shadowed in the mauve light which is apparently necessary”. Unfortunately, they know it from the beginning but they don not want to accept it because it will disturb already chosen path. “…and finally, shocked by their indifference”. The only son, who is going to start an adult life, able to summarize the parents mistakes and to build his future in the light of love, hope and faith. “…into the cold light, I woke up”. No matter what and when we are always know where is the light but sometimes it is easier to wander in a gloom then to find strength to look at the sun.

After reading “Ode to enchanted light,” one may feel peaceful and calm. On the contrary, “Sleeping in the Forest” creates a feeling of enlightenment. Both poems convey an appreciation of different aspects of nature. “Ode to enchanted light” conveys the theme of how nature is filled with beauty. However, “Sleeping in the Forest” conveys that nature is pleasing and oneself should continuously celebrate its glory. Through the clever use of figurative language, both poems greatly convey powerful

The imagery in the poem, specifically natural imagery, helps use the reader’s senses to develop a vivid depiction of the speaker’s connection to nature and dissatisfaction with the surrounding reality. The speaker’s continued use of the “moon” reflects her attribution of feminine identity and idolistic character to the moon. As opposed to referencing herself and her personal insomnia, she uses the imagery of the moon “beyond sleep” to convey her internal struggles with insomnia and her reality. Throughout the poem, the speaker also refers to shining, reflective surfaces, such as “a body of water or a mirror”, to describe the inverted reality in which the speaker experiences reciprocated love. Reflective surfaces often invert the image that is projected into them, seemingly distorting the true nature and reality of the projected image. The speaker’s reference to this reflective imagery highlights her desire to escape the burden of a patriarchal society and assume an independent and free feminine identity. Specifically, the use of natural imagery from the references to the “moon” and “a body of water” convey the speaker’s desire to take refuge within the Earth or in the feminine identity of the Earth, Mother Earth. Feminine identities are often related and associated with aspects of nature due to the natural cycle of the menstrual period and the natural process of procreation. The speaker takes advantage of these connotations to suggest Earth and natural imagery as an escape from the man-made terrors of male dominated society. In the second stanza, the speaker uses extensive imagery to develop metaphors conveying the speaker’s experience of jealousy of the moon