The moon has been a timeless muse for poets, inspiring countless verses that capture its beauty, mystery, and symbolism. From ancient times to modern literature, the moon’s enchanting presence in the night sky has evoked deep emotions and themes in poetry. In this article, we explore 20 of the best moon poems that showcase the diverse ways poets have celebrated and contemplated this celestial body.
1. “The Moon” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
“Art thou pale for weariness
Of climbing heaven and gazing on the earth,
Wandering companionless
Among the stars that have a different birth,
And ever changing, like a joyless eye
That finds no object worth its constancy?”
Shelley’s introspective poem delves into the moon’s lonely journey through the heavens, questioning its pale appearance and eternal wanderings.
2. “The Moon’s the North Wind’s Cooky” by Vachel Lindsay
“The moon’s the North Wind’s cooky.
He bites it, day by day,
Until there’s but a rim of scraps
That crumble all away.”
Lindsay’s whimsical poem likens the moon to a cookie being nibbled away by the North Wind, presenting a playful and imaginative perspective.
3. “Moonrise” by D.H. Lawrence
“Her ivory hands on the edge of night
Dropped down and down through all the skies,
And her cry was a flying light
Piercing the dark with shrill surprise.”
Lawrence’s “Moonrise” paints a vivid picture of the moon’s ascent into the night sky, imbuing it with a sense of ethereal beauty and mystery.
4. “The Moon” by Robert Louis Stevenson
“The moon has a face like the clock in the hall;
She shines on thieves on the garden wall,
On streets and fields and harbour quays,
And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.”
Stevenson’s simple yet charming poem personifies the moon as a watchful presence, casting its light on various nocturnal scenes.
5. “The Moon” by William Butler Yeats
“And like a dawn of quick white birds
Struggling suddenly into flight,
Or a gust of hawks, darkening the noon,
The pale stars fluttered bright.”
Yeats’s evocative imagery in “The Moon” captures the moon’s transformative power as it stirs the stars and illuminates the night sky.
6. “The Moon and the Yew Tree” by Sylvia Plath
“This is the light of the mind, cold and planetary.
The trees of the mind are black. The light is blue.”
Plath’s haunting poem juxtaposes the moon’s cold brilliance with the starkness of a yew tree, delving into themes of introspection and solitude.
7. “Bright Star” by John Keats
“Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art—
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite,”
While not exclusively about the moon, Keats’s “Bright Star” invokes celestial imagery and longing, reflecting on the enduring nature of stars and their influence on earthly desires.
8. “The Moon’s the North Wind’s Cookie” by Robert Frost
“The moon’s a snowball. See the drifts
Of white that cross the sphere.
The moon’s a snowball. See the drifts
Of white that cross the sphere.”
Frost’s playful repetition in “The Moon’s the North Wind’s Cookie” presents a whimsical view of the moon as a celestial snowball adrift in the sky.
9. “To the Moon” by Lord Byron
“Oh, Moon! in the night I have seen you sailing
And shining so round and low,
You were bright! ah, bright!—but your light is failing—
You are nothing now but a bow.”
Byron’s romantic ode to the moon captures both its beauty and transient nature, likening it to a fading bow in the night sky.
10. “Song of the Moon” by Federico García Lorca
“The moon came into the forge
in her bustle of flowering nard.
The little boy stares at her, stares.
The boy is staring hard.”
Lorca’s poem “Song of the Moon” presents a magical encounter between a young boy and the moon, blending imagination with vivid imagery.
11. “The Moon’s the North Wind’s Cooky” by Carl Sandburg
“The moon’s a silver slipper;
It’s pouring wine for me.
It’s filling up a chalice
For a bed whereon to lie.”
Sandburg’s interpretation of the moon as a silver slipper pouring wine evokes a sense of enchantment and indulgence.
12. “The Moon” by Sara Teasdale
“The moon has a face like the clock in the hall;
She shines on thieves on the garden wall,
On streets and fields and harbour quays,
And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.”
Teasdale’s depiction of the moon’s watchful gaze over different scenes captures its universal presence in the night.
13. “Silver” by Walter de la Mare
“Slowly, silently, now the moon
Walks the night in her silver shoon;
This way, and that, she peers, and sees
Silver fruit upon silver trees;”
De la Mare’s “Silver” paints a dreamlike picture of the moon’s movements and its reflective glow on the world below.
14. “The Moon” by Emily Dickinson
“The moon was but a chin of gold
A night or two ago,
And now she turns her perfect face
Upon the world below.”
Dickinson’s concise yet evocative verse captures the moon’s changing phases and its serene presence in the night sky.
15. “Sonnet to the Moon” by William Shakespeare
“With how sad steps, O Moon, thou climb’st the skies!
How silently, and with how wan a face!”
Shakespeare’s sonnet to the moon reflects on its melancholic ascent in the sky, portraying a mood of introspection and longing.
16. “The Moon’s the North Wind’s Cooky” by Langston Hughes
“The moon’s a confectioner’s balloon.
That fills the sky with creamy light.”
Hughes’s playful imagery in “The Moon’s the North Wind’s Cooky” likens the moon to a balloon filled with creamy light, adding a touch of whimsy to its depiction.
17. “Moonlight” by Rabindranath Tagore
“The moon is sad. Ah, he has his burden too,
That he carries up to the night.”
Tagore’s poem “Moonlight” personifies the moon’s sorrow, suggesting a deeper emotional weight behind its luminous appearance.
18. “The Moon” by W. B. Yeats
“And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.”
Yeats’s contemplative poem “The Moon” reflects on the moon’s role as a silent witness to love’s fleeting nature and the emotions it stirs.
19. “The Moon” by Edgar Allan Poe
“The moon! whose orb through optic glass
The Tuscan artist views at evening, from the top
Of Fiesole, or in Valdarno, to descry
New lands, rivers, mountains, in her spotty globe.”
Poe’s description of the moon’s observation from different vantage points highlights its allure and the sense of discovery it inspires.
20. “The Moon’s the North Wind’s Cooky” by E. E. Cummings
“the moon’s a lady like you;
it’s oneO’clock&half past and
your shoes are on,so you’ve slept well
and arise, and take a whiff of coffee
and something like a morning moon.”
Cummings’s playful and unconventional style in “The Moon’s the North Wind’s Cooky” celebrates the moon as a familiar presence akin to a lady waking up to a new day.
These 20 moon poems encompass a range of themes, from romantic longing to whimsical imagery and philosophical reflections. Each poem offers a unique perspective on the moon’s timeless beauty and significance in human experience, making it a perennial source of inspiration for poets throughout history.