Reasons to feel sorry:
* Loneliness and isolation: The speaker is clearly alone, walking the streets at night, "unwilling to be known." This suggests a sense of social isolation and a yearning for connection.
* Inner turmoil and despair: The speaker describes their "burden" and "despair." The repetition of "I have been one acquainted with the night" creates a sense of weariness and resignation, suggesting a long period of struggle.
* Loss of hope: The speaker describes being "aware of the meaning of the night" and seeing the "men and women standing in the rain," seemingly without purpose. This portrays a world devoid of hope and filled with aimlessness.
Reasons not to feel sorry:
* The speaker's agency: The speaker chooses to walk at night and is "unwilling to be known." They seem to find a certain comfort in their solitude and the darkness, suggesting a degree of self-reliance.
* The poem's ambiguous tone: The poem doesn't offer a clear-cut message about the speaker's state of mind. The speaker's description of the night could be seen as melancholic, but also as introspective and even empowering.
Ultimately, the poem invites you to consider the speaker's experience and decide for yourself whether you feel sympathy for them.
It's also important to remember that poems are open to interpretation. Different readers may draw different conclusions about the speaker's emotions and motivations based on their own life experiences and perspectives.