18 pages • 36 minutes read
Emily DickinsonWe Grow Accustomed to the Dark
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1935A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Darkness
Beginning with the title and opening line, darkness is present throughout the poem in all its manifestations as its central motif. From the start, it is clear the speaker is “accustomed” to this darkness (Line 1); it is with them always and no longer seems as frightening as it once did. In the second stanza, the speaker describes how the night is at first new and unsettling, but then we “fit our Vision to the Dark” (Line 7)—in other words, we adjust ourselves to the new reality of living in darkness.
In these first two stanzas, darkness is presented as literal. When presented with darkness, one’s eyes adjust and continue moving forward. The third stanza, however, parallels this darkness with darkness of another kind: “And so of larger — Darknesses — / Those Evenings of the Brain” (Line 9-10). Here, the darkness becomes internal. During this time there is no moon or stars to extend their guidance, which makes this darkness of a very different persuasion. Unlike external darkness, internal darkness can only be broken from within. The poem details the obstacles that even the bravest people can encounter when finding their way through this darkness; in the end, however, “the Darkness alters” (Line 17) as the speaker finds clarity and strength.
The Road
Meeting the road symbolizes a crossroads, or a time of new beginnings, which is a common motif across literature and made particularly famous by Robert Frost in his poem “The Road Not Taken.” The speaker describes how they arrive at the road “erect” (Line 8): They meet it head-on without shying away from what the future will bring, even though they can’t see very far ahead of them.
The road appears at the end of the second stanza, just before the halfway point in the poem. This suggests that the road functions as a turning point in which the speaker’s journey becomes forever changed. While the darkness around them has previously been directionless, here the speaker is given a sense of purpose. Despite this, however, there are obstacles along this road: For instance, a tree that one might inadvertently barrel into when they can’t see their way. This parallels the unexpected challenges one encounters on the road through life. However, these challenges are portrayed as inevitable markers of forward movement. The “Bravest” (Line 13) are able to overcome these pitfalls and find illumination on their road through life.
The Neighbor
The neighbor symbolizes human connection and social support. Despite Dickinson’s personal isolation, this moment highlights the way everyone has some sort of social network around them, even if it's only in passing. The capitalization of the word suggests there may be a Biblical allusion to the commandment “Love thy neighbor.” However, the neighbor is portrayed as someone external and fleeting. Despite the fourth-person “We” perspective, the poem conveys a strong sense of isolation and independence. The neighbor offers the speaker a source of light but is also associated with the idea of a “Goodbye” (Line 4); this suggests that even when we have people to love and support us, they can only take us so far.
Like the road, the neighbor is introduced in the closing lines of a stanza. This implies that this image also represents a turning point for the speaker. The neighbor does not reappear throughout the rest of the poem, which might suggest a link to an earlier stage of life, such as childhood. The speaker—and by extension, people in general—begin with a strong connection to the light of others, depending upon their elders to guide and shape them. However, there is a point when they need to make their own way on their own road in order to discover the light within themselves.
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By Emily Dickinson
