We grow accustomed to the Dark -

We grow accustomed to the Dark —
When Light is put away —
As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp
To witness her Good bye —

A Moment — We Uncertain step
For newness of the night —
Then — fit our Vision to the Dark —
And meet the Road — erect —

And so of larger — Darknesses —
Those Evenings of the Brain —
When not a Moon disclose a sign —
Or Star — come out — within —

The Bravest — grope a little —
And sometimes hit a Tree
Directly in the Forehead —
But as they learn to see —

Either the Darkness alters —
Or something in the sight
Adjusts itself to Midnight —
And Life steps almost straight.

F(428)

We have all experienced this moment. We leave a location and step out into the dark abyss and pause, waiting for our eyes to adjust. They do, everything becoming clear like a Bob Ross painting video, and we journey forward into the night, eventually finding our way as if it were light out.

Dickinson does a great job describing this experience through this poem using her imagery. We try to “Fit our vision to the dark,” describing the action of adjusting our vision to the abrupt darkness that we face. To further describe this darkness, Dickinson shows a cloudy night “When not a Moon disclose a sign - or a star - come out - within,” which would allow no amount of natural light to show the path. Once in the dark night, we may be “Uncertain” because of the “newness,” communicating the shock and unfamiliarity the speaker has with the darkness. The final stanza shows the amazing moment when our eyes finally “grow accustomed to the dark” :

Either the Darkness alters —
Or something in the sight
Adjusts itself to Midnight —
And Life steps almost straight.

All of a sudden, we can see, whether be a change in the “Darkness” or in our eyes, we are able to navigate the abyss.

This poem gives the literal image of stepping out into the physical darkness, but there are many other interpretations that give the poem a deeper meaning. For example, the dark could be grief, depression, loss, or general uncertainty. Taking it as grief, the tragedy that ensued it sent the speaker into this vast darkness. She now has to cope with this heaviness all around her; however, as the grief continues the speaker gets “accustomed” to the plummet that she made into darkness. She is able to function as if she is in the light of day either because the object of her grief changed or her perspective changed. Similarly, if the night is depression, it surrounds her, the only light being the lamp of past joy held by the neighbor seen above, not the “Moon” or “stars . . . within.” After a while of being overwhelmed by the darkness, she gets used to it and goes on with life though she is still submerged in the gloom. At this point, however, the night is familiar to some degree, allowing her to function.

The darkness being loss would show the speaker leaving their loved one, causing them to go from the light of their presence to the dark of their absence. Over time, the speaker grows used to the absence and copes with a new perspective as “Life steps almost straight.” Finally, stepping out into uncertainty takes bravery and commitment to change. It seems scary at first, and we are tempted to run back to what was familiar, the light. However, with time what is uncertain becomes well-known and “almost” comfortable. Whether the darkness is physical or metaphorical, it begins as a new experience for the speaker and slowly becomes familiar either because the outside circumstance changes or the internal processing changes. Either way, in the end, “Life steps almost straight.”

https://www.istockphoto.com/video/man-holding-kerosene-lamp-in-dark-night-gm1085553232-291272200