With how sad steps, O Moon, thou climb'st the skies! Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. Is it weird that the speaker is talking to the moon? Does it make him seem kind of wacky? Why do you think so?
  2. Why the moon? Why not the sun, or the stars, or the planets?
  3. What do you make of all the personification in this poem? What effect does it have on how we view the speaker?
  4. Is there some reason why love has to be associated with so much pain? Is the speaker just looking at things the wrong way? How can you tell?
  5. Does the speaker feel any less sad as a result of pretending that the moon is sad as well? Why or why not?
  6. How would you describe the speaker? Sad? Frustrated? Angry? Depressed? What parts of the poem support your ideas?
  7. The sentences in this poem are pretty tricky sometimes. What effect does this have on the poem and its themes?