We Grow Accustomed to the Dark

“We Grow Accustomed to the Dark” champions human courage, resilience, and perseverance in times of crisis and hardship. The speaker sets up an image of darkness that never really goes away but acknowledges that people who are faced with this darkness can find their way forward. In the second stanza, the speaker refers to the uncertainty that people feel when faced with unexpected periods of darkness, whether literal or figurative. Through discovery of their own inner strength, they can “meet the Road […] erect” (Line 8); in other words, they can stand tall and face the challenges life brings, as well as the blessings it has to offer.

The third and fourth stanzas take a deeper look at these challenges, particularly those that occur within. During times of personal hardship, or “Evenings of the Brain” (Line 10), people are forced to make their way through life without any external light to guide them. Even the “Bravest” of these people (Line 13) may encounter obstacles and pitfalls, but only because they are moving forward—had they stayed in one place, they would have been safer, yet would not have eventually found their way. Thus, courage and perseverance are necessary to overcome these obstacles, even if the act of moving forward is intimidating and filled with hardships.