Robert Frost's "acquainted with the night" is a very short and sweet poem in which the title says it all. The poem follows ome of Frost's similar works in which he writes about simple things or actions to symbolize a highter theme. In "acquainted with the night," Frost uses strong symbolism, words choice, and structure to correlatethe simple things of the night with one's personal journey through life, and in doing so, Frost suggests notjoy, but indifferenceand moral insecurity to life's experiences.
Alice Elliot Dark captures the emotional turmoil of a mother losing a son in her short story "In the Gloaming." The "gloaming" is an hour in Scotland where everything looks enchanged and purple; a twilight hour that holds a special meaning to Dark's characters. Although the denotation of this term has positive interpretations, the connotation relays something entirely different. Dark plays with the connotation of words throughout the text to help illustrate the heaviness and sadness that both Janet and Laird are experiencing. Using a limited third person point of view also aids in the overarching tone of the sotry. Dark also continually overlays memories of Laird as a helpless child to reinforce the relationship between mother and son.
