Sonnet To The Moon by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio

Sonnet To The Moon by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio

Lonely thou wander'st through wide heaven, like one 

That has some fearful deed of darkness done, 

With grief upon thy cheek ; while sad despair 

Coldly refuseth thee a shelter where 

Repose might give thee welcome. Or hast thou 

Washed with pale light thy melancholy brow. 

Because the dreams Hope brought thee once, have fled, 

And left the thoughts of sadness in their stead ? 

Ah no ! it is that thou art too near earth 

Ever to witness rosy pleasure's birth ; 

And ceaseless gazing on the thousand showers 

Of ill that inundate this world of ours 

Has touched thy heart, and bid thine aspect be 

For our misfortunes, pale with sympathy. 

INTRODUCTION -

The sonnet “To The Moon” was written by the famous Indo-Anglican poet, Henry Louis Vivian Derozio. It is in the form of a Petrarchan sonnet where the octave (first eight lines) presents a picture of the moon wandering lonely through the wide sky in a melancholic spirit and the sestet (last six lines) answers the question of the poet concerning the sorrow of the moon. The poem follows the rhyme scheme of AABBCCDD EEFFGG. Most poems about the moon are passionate and serene but this poem is different from them as the moon, here, is considered sad and lonely. The poem is also figurative because the moon is shown with human feelings. His pain has a reason which is connected to life on the earth.

POET -

Henry Louis Vivian Derozio (18 April 1809 – 26 December 1831) was an Indo-Anglican poet of Portuguese origin. He was inflamed by a patriotic spirit for his native Bengal and considered himself an Indian. He served as a lecturer and assistant headmaster at the Hindu College of Calcutta. His works discuss the theme of love, nature, patriotism, and transitions of life. His famous works include To India - My Native Land, Morning after a storm, A Walk by Moonlight, To the Dog Star, etc.

SUMMARY -

LINES 1 TO 8 -

In the octave, the poet imagines the moon wandering lonely on the night sky all alone with 'grief upon his cheeks'. This cheek of the moon is full of sorrow, lost in hopelessness, and is connected with the dark spots on the moon's surface. The poet further wonders whether the moon is sad because of a sense of guilt at having done a sinful deed. The moon is so depressed and uneasy that it is not in the condition to take rest or find any shelter for relaxation. It is all alone traveling in the sky with no one to give it company. The moon which was one supposed to be bright appears to be dull; the gloominess has covered its beauty. The poet also assumes that the moon is sad because his hopeful dreams have been shattered and in its place, there is just loss and sorrow. Hence, the moon resembles a striking image of pain, sadness, and loneliness. The poet, however, wants to learn the reason behind this pain.

LINES 9 TO 14 -

In the sestet, the poet finds the answer to the dullness of the moon. The situation and circumstances of the earth have taken away all the imaginations and beauty from the moon leaving no space for hope or joy. The sorrow has a stronghold over its beautiful dreams. The moon is sad to see the grave conditions of human beings on the earth. It finds itself close enough to the earth to enjoy the beauty of nature and the blooming pleasure of the dawn or origination of earth. Instead, it watches the misfortunes and evils present on the earth consuming and degrading it with time. The spiritual illness of the earth has indeed touched the heart of the moon. The poet concludes that the sorrow that “inundate this world” has affected the moon and made it pale with sympathy.

THEMES -

• Grief and isolation - The moon here is a symbol of sadness and isolation. Traveling alone in the night sky and watching the misfortunes of the earth has led to this condition. The beautiful moon which should be considered as an image of peace and love is adversely affected by these situations.

END -

The poem is undoubtedly a powerful one in which the poet brings our attention indirectly to the standard of living on earth which has degraded to such a level that it can be observed from far away. The moon, a symbol of peace and love too couldn't remain unaffected by it.