Sonnet IV------To The Moon

The moon, the "queen of the silver bow," is Charlotte Smith's topic in Sonnet IV To The Moon. The speaker of the poem, probably Charlotte Smith, is directly addressing the moon and speaking to it. This sonnet is filled with so much imagery and descriptions. Even with all the pessimistic and depressing language, Smith is able to portray the moon as a beautiful creation. The moon can be compared to "heaven"; it's a better place. There is so much bad on planet earth and life on this planet is not that wonderful, however on the moon, the wretched (those living in poverty, misery, or distress - according to the Oxford English Dictionary) "may have rest." Not only that, but the moon also allows the "sad children" to forget about all the sadness and grief in their lives. I wasn't sure what the word "benignant" meant, but it looks and sounds very cold and unpleasant. The OED defined it as cherishing, gracious, and generous. I found it very fascinating how some of these harsh, negative words can be formed and defined in such ways that expose the beauty of nature. In line 3 for example, the words "shadow" and "trembling" aren't always very pleasant, however the way that Smith uses it represents a beautiful image. She could have easily said something along the lines of the moon sparkled against the flow of the water. I feel that she has purposely used this tactic to write her poem to get a point across. The moral I got from this sonnet is that there is happiness behind all of the sadness; it just takes patience and time to uncover it.