Sad Steps

The poem revolves around the symbol of the moon, which is presented not only for what it has symbolized over the years (“Lozenge of love! Medallion of art!” [Line 11]), but also what it symbolizes for the poet in the moment as he looks out of his bedroom window at night. For the speaker, the moon symbolizes a lofty, intense presence, at once hard and bright, and absolutely separate from everything else, although its “wide stare” is “Far-reaching.” (Line 15). Interestingly, although the speaker is now a middle-aged realist rather than a young romantic, he is not beyond using the pathetic fallacy to present the moon. The pathetic fallacy occurs when a human quality or characteristic is attributed to an inanimate object. Staring is something that humans and animals do; the moon, as a celestial object sans eyes, cannot literally stare. The use of this figure of speech shows that the moon, though shorn of its romantic associations, still has power to make the speaker reflect on life; it symbolizes both youth and the passing of youth, as well as the continuity of life across generations. The moon is always there, although it represents different things for different people at different stages in the life cycle.