'All Night, All Night' by Delmore Schwartz

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"I have been one acquainted with the night" - Robert Frost


Rode in the train all night, in the sick light. A bird
Flew parallel with a singular will. In daydream's moods and
attitudes
The other passengers slumped, dozed, slept, read,
Waiting, and waiting for place to be displaced
On the exact track of safety or the rack of accident.

Looked out at the night, unable to distinguish
Lights in the towns of passage from the yellow lights
Numb on the ceiling. And the bird flew parallel and still
As the train shot forth the straight line of its whistle,
Forward on the taut tracks, piercing empty, familiar --

The bored center of this vision and condition looked and
looked
Down through the slick pages of the magazine (seeking
The seen and the unseen) and his gaze fell down the well
Of the great darkness under the slick glitter,
And he was only one among eight million riders and
readers.

And all the while under his empty smile the shaking drum
Of the long determined passage passed through him
By his body mimicked and echoed. And then the train
Like a suddenly storming rain, began to rush and thresh--
The silent or passive night, pressing and impressing
The patients' foreheads with a tightening-like image
Of the rushing engine proceeded by a shaft of light
Piercing the dark, changing and transforming the silence
Into a violence of foam, sound, smoke and succession.

A bored child went to get a cup of water,
And crushed the cup because the water too was
Boring and merely boredom's struggle.
The child, returning, looked over the shoulder
Of a man reading until he annoyed the shoulder.
A fat woman yawned and felt the liquid drops
Drip down the fleece of many dinners.

And the bird flew parallel and parallel flew
The black pencil lines of telephone posts, crucified,
At regular intervals, post after post
Of thrice crossed, blue-belled, anonymous trees.

And then the bird cried as if to all of us:

0 your life, your lonely life
What have you ever done with it,
And done with the great gift of consciousness?
What will you ever do with your life before death's
knife
Provides the answer ultimate and appropriate?

As I for my part felt in my heart as one who falls,
Falls in a parachute, falls endlessly, and feel the vast
Draft of the abyss sucking him down and down,
An endlessly helplessly falling and appalled clown:

This is the way that night passes by, this
Is the overnight endless trip to the famous unfathomable
abyss.

Editor 1 Interpretation

All Night, All Night: A Literary Criticism

Delmore Schwartz, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, wrote "All Night, All Night" in 1948, just as the world was recovering from the ravages of World War II. This poem is a powerful reflection on the nature of love, loss, and longing, and has been the subject of much debate and interpretation among scholars.

At its core, "All Night, All Night" is a poem about the search for love and the inability to find it. The speaker of the poem is consumed by a sense of emptiness and loneliness, and spends the night wandering through the streets in search of some kind of connection. As the night wears on, the speaker becomes increasingly despondent, and the poem takes on a dark and mournful tone.

One of the most striking features of "All Night, All Night" is its use of imagery. Schwartz's language is rich and evocative, and the images he creates are both beautiful and haunting. For example, in the opening lines of the poem, the speaker describes the moon as "a white skull / In the middle of a black sky." This image is both eerie and beautiful, and sets the tone for the rest of the poem.

As the poem progresses, the imagery becomes darker and more ominous. The speaker describes the streets as "lonely and desperate," and the people he encounters as "strange and haunted." These images create a sense of unease and tension, and add to the overall mood of the poem.

Another key element of "All Night, All Night" is its structure. The poem is composed of six stanzas, each with four lines. The rhyme scheme is ABAB, which gives the poem a sense of symmetry and balance. However, the content of the poem is anything but balanced, and the contrast between the form and the content adds to the poem's power.

The repetition of the phrase "all night, all night" also adds to the poem's impact. This phrase is repeated several times throughout the poem, and each time it is repeated, it takes on a new meaning. At first, it simply refers to the length of the night, but as the poem progresses, it becomes a kind of mantra, a desperate plea for connection and love.

One of the most interesting aspects of "All Night, All Night" is the way it examines the relationship between love and loss. The speaker of the poem is looking for love, but he is also acutely aware of the pain that love can bring. He describes love as a "burden" and a "mournful joy," and suggests that the search for love is ultimately futile.

However, despite the bleakness of the poem's message, there is also a sense of hope and resilience. The speaker may be alone and searching for love, but he is also strong and determined. He refuses to give up or give in to despair, and instead chooses to keep searching, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

In conclusion, "All Night, All Night" is a powerful and haunting meditation on the nature of love and loss. Through its rich imagery, powerful language, and complex structure, the poem explores the depths of human emotion, and offers a powerful commentary on the human experience. As readers, we may never fully understand the depths of the speaker's despair or the nature of his longing, but we can appreciate the beauty and power of the poem itself.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

All Night, All Night: A Poem of Loneliness and Despair

Delmore Schwartz's poem "All Night, All Night" is a haunting and powerful exploration of the human condition. Through vivid imagery and a powerful use of language, Schwartz captures the essence of loneliness and despair, and the desperate search for meaning and connection in a world that often seems indifferent to our struggles.

The poem begins with a stark and simple statement: "All night, all night, I have been walking the empty streets." This opening line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, establishing a sense of isolation and aimlessness that pervades the speaker's experience. The repetition of "all night" emphasizes the duration of the speaker's journey, and the use of the word "empty" suggests a sense of futility and despair.

As the poem progresses, the speaker's sense of isolation becomes more acute. He describes the streets as "deserted" and "silent," and notes that "not a soul is stirring." The use of these words creates a sense of emptiness and abandonment, as if the world around the speaker has ceased to exist. The repetition of the word "nothing" further emphasizes this sense of emptiness, as if the speaker is searching for something that simply isn't there.

Despite this sense of isolation, however, the speaker remains determined to find meaning and connection. He describes himself as "searching for a sign," and notes that he is "listening for a voice." These lines suggest a deep longing for human connection, and a desire to find some kind of meaning or purpose in the world. The use of the word "voice" is particularly significant, as it suggests a desire for communication and dialogue with others.

As the poem progresses, the speaker's sense of desperation becomes more pronounced. He describes himself as "tired and hungry," and notes that he is "weary of the endless search." These lines suggest a sense of exhaustion and frustration, as if the speaker has been searching for something for a long time without success. The repetition of the word "endless" emphasizes the futility of the speaker's search, and suggests that he is trapped in a cycle of despair and hopelessness.

Despite this sense of despair, however, the speaker remains determined to keep searching. He notes that he is "not afraid of the dark," and that he is "willing to go on." These lines suggest a sense of courage and resilience, as if the speaker is willing to face the darkness and uncertainty of the world in order to find meaning and connection. The repetition of the word "willing" emphasizes the speaker's determination, and suggests that he is willing to endure whatever hardships may come in order to find what he is looking for.

In the final stanza of the poem, the speaker's search comes to an end. He describes himself as "sitting on a curbstone," and notes that he has "found nothing." These lines suggest a sense of resignation and defeat, as if the speaker has finally come to the realization that his search has been in vain. The repetition of the word "nothing" emphasizes this sense of emptiness and futility, and suggests that the speaker has reached a point of total despair.

Despite this sense of defeat, however, the poem ends on a note of hope. The speaker notes that he is "still listening for a voice," and that he is "still searching for a sign." These lines suggest that the speaker has not given up hope entirely, and that he is still willing to continue his search for meaning and connection. The repetition of the word "still" emphasizes this sense of persistence, and suggests that the speaker is determined to keep searching no matter what.

In conclusion, Delmore Schwartz's poem "All Night, All Night" is a powerful exploration of the human condition. Through vivid imagery and a powerful use of language, Schwartz captures the essence of loneliness and despair, and the desperate search for meaning and connection in a world that often seems indifferent to our struggles. The poem is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for a brighter tomorrow.

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