The poem takes place in an urban environment at night, although the specific city or town is never specified. Instead, the focus is on the ever present influence of the night, with its universal comforts and fears. The city is drenched in rain, perhaps contributing to its emptiness and the speaker’s sense of isolation. While there are sporadic light sources and evidence of other life, the speaker is largely alone in the darkness. The night therefore acts as a reminder of two contrasting truths: it is a universal experience that we all experience, and yet each of us experiences it alone.