In the dark, the speaker hears something that isn’t really a sound — it’s the “noise of silence” and the “noise of blindness.” Without sight or familiar sounds, the quiet itself becomes overwhelming. The speaker feels frozen, as stiff and helpless as a tree, unable to move or escape. The repetition of the phrases builds pressure, as if the darkness keeps pressing closer. What begins as stillness grows louder and louder inside the mind until it seems louder than thunder. This inward noise terrifies the speaker, shaking the soul and tearing the heart apart. The poem creates a tense, almost suffocating mood, turning ordinary darkness into something alive and menacing. It captures how fear can fill an empty space and make silence feel unbearably loud.
In the Night — Summary
There always is a noise when it is dark ; It is the noise of silence and the noise Of blindness.
The noise of silence and the noise of blindness Do frighten me, They hold me stark and rigid as a tree !
These frighten me, These hold me stark and rigid as a tree ! Because at last their tumult is more loud Than thunder.
Because at last Their tumult is more loud than thunder : They terrify my soul, They tear my heart asunder !