Emily Dickinson - We Grow Accustomed To The Dark

I am new to the forums. My friend and I were deliberating on what the general thought behind what this poem meant. So I stumbled across this website and decided to post.

Thank you for any insight on the general accepted meaning of the poem.

We Grow Accustomed To The Dark
Emily Dickinson

http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/emilydickinson/10371

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Ok, nobody has responded yet, so I'll give it a shot. I would say, simply, that the poem implies that we quickly grow used to the darkness of the world. It's a sad idea, but could be true. Like how we are desensitized to violence, death, etc... Bad things happen, and we go on living.

Yeah, but that implies that dark has to be ba real negative thing whereas it doesn't. Dickinson's poetry tends to be sad, but this is also just saying that we adjust. When you're first thrust out into a dark night you're uncertain and stumbling, but eventually your eyes get used to it and you can function. When, say, a loved one dies, it's crippling at first, but eventually you'll learn to cope to a degree.

Although, The poem does say that we grow accustom to the darkness. It also says; Some people will eventually figure out a way to the light. That there's always that one person who will figure out it's not right, and make their way from whatever darkness they are in. That's just how I analyze this poem.

I mostly agree with Alesias' interpretation. It is how we each can choose to react to the darkness that comes our way in life - be it death, sadness, peril, etc.