I have outwalked the furthest city light.
-- Speaker (Line 3)

Importance: This line juxtaposes light with the darkness that is central to the poem. In contrast to the symbolism normally associated with light in poetry, here the speaker is walking away from the light source. Furthermore, they are “outwalking” it, suggesting a feeling of pursuit and escape. The image communicates both physical distance and emotional distance from the civilized world.

unwilling to explain
-- Speaker (Line 6)

Importance: This moment intentionally raises a question for the reader: what is the speaker “unwilling to explain”? And is their presence something that can be explained, even to themself? The “unwillingness” of the speaker enhances the divide expressed in the first stanza, juxtaposing the speaker against the conflicting social order represented by the night watchman. Rather than being ostracized, the speaker isolates themself with their own actions.

One luminary clock against the sky
-- Speaker (Line 12)

Importance: This moment can be read as either a literal...