898 unit 5: the harlem renaissance and modernism

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 feetWhen far away an interrupted cryCame over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-by; aAnd further still at an unearthly heightOne luminary1 clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right. I have been one acquainted with the night. b

Acquaintedwith the NightRobert Frost

5

10

1. luminary: giving off light.

ANALYZE VISUALSNotice the shadowy human figures in relation to other objects in the photograph. What mood is established by the composition, or arrangement of shapes? How do the figures appear in relation to each other? Explain.

b RECOGNIZE AMBIGUITYReread lines 11–14. Identify at least two possible meanings of “the time was neither wrong nor right.” What does this proclamation suggest about the “luminary clock”? Explain.

a FROST’S STYLEReread lines 7–10. In what way does line 7 set the stage for lines 8–10? Identify the mood evoked by the image of the interrupted cry.

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Practice and Apply

a frost’s stylePossible answer: Line 7 sets the stage by establishing a feeling of silence, against which the cry is particularly striking. The mood is one of loneliness and anguish.If students need help . . . Use a Connecting organizer to help students relate the passage to feelings it evokes.

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyConnecting p. A8

L I T E R A R Y A N A L Y S I S

b recognize ambiguityPossible answer: Line 13 can mean “It is unclear whether the clock gives the right time or not” and “the speaker is unsure of whether the moment is right for some action he is contemplating.” This proclama-tion suggests that the clock is an omen or a prophet, though a mysterious one.If students need help . . . Model how to note the ambiguity on the prereading chart introduced on page 897:

“Acquainted with the Night”line no. 13:• clock may not give the right time• this may not be a good time for

speaker’s action

R E A D I N G S K I L L

For general guidelines on differentiating instruction, see

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKITDifferentiated Instruction pp. 31–38

for less–proficient readersOptions for Reading: Audio Recording• Have students listen to the poems on the

Audio Anthology CD (also recommended for English learners) while they read along in their books. Urge students to visualize the poems’ imagery as they listen, and to self-question about each poem’s mood.

• Suggest that students write down words and phrases that confuse them as they listen. Invite volunteers to paraphrase and interpret.

898 unit 5

summaryIn this poem, the speaker conveys his unhappy solitude by describing a lonely walk on a dark, rainy street.

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Lines 1–6discussion promptsUse these prompts to help students under-stand the mood of the poem:

Connect Think about a time you spent alone. How does that experience help you understand the speaker’s situation?Responses should convey students’ under-standing of the speaker’s solitude.Analyze Which image in these lines seems the gloomiest? Explain. Possible answer: The image of standing alone in the rain, unwilling to talk even to the watchman, is extremely gloomy and suggests lack of hope. Synthesize The first five lines all begin with “I have” followed by a verb. What effect does this have on the mood of the poem? Possible answer: The phrase emphasizes the speaker’s aloneness and his self-absorption.

Lines 1–14reinforce key idea: solitudeDiscuss What repeated word choices imply the speaker’s solitude? Possible answer: Repetition of “I” and “one” implies solitude.

analyze visualsPossible answer: The composition of the photo emphasizes the solitude of the characters, who are outnumbered by the bare, lonely-looking trees and dwarfed by the large, impersonal buildings of the city. The figures seem some-what distant from one another; they are certainly not engaged with each other. Rather, it seems each is going about his business in the dark, lonely night.

for less–proficient readersImagery Have students fill in a Cluster Diagram to brainstorm words and phrases Frost’s nighttime images evoke for them.

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyCluster Diagram p. B18

Night

dark

lonely

quiet

cry

acquainted with the night 899

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