OUR PLANET’S PITIFUL PLIGHT
February 16, 2021POETIC DISTILLATION
February 22, 2021The Moon Watches
Observing the suburbs from a distance
The moon watches
in wide-eyed wonder
as the suburbs sleep,
sprawled out like a cat
in the summer heat.
Snarling spats,
perched precariously
on boundary fences,
have given way to
the measured
breathing of a
temporary truce.
Dreams of peace
and prosperity
begin to purr
in dark places
until, finally,
hope rises
and stretches,
licking its old wounds
tenderly and
resolvedly.
Surveying its
familiar territory,
it pads out
into the pale
light of a new dawn.
The moon watches
those sharp claws
(cunningly sheathed)
and wonders
how long it will be
before hidden weapons,
sharpened with spite,
will claw at the fragile peace
and draw blood
once again in the night.
Julie Wright
Detailed Analysis of Poem
personification: the moon is given the human quality of watching what is going on in the suburbs and given a human attitude which is emphasized through the alliteration (‘wide-eyed wonder’)
‘suburbs sleep/sprawled’ combines personification, alliteration and simile to build the image of a cat sprawled out on a hot day
–sibilance is used throughout the poem through the repeated use of the ‘s’ sounds
simile: drawing attention to the aggression and bickering between neighbours and the symbolism of the fence being depicted as a boundary marker
alliteration: the two lots of alliteration draw attention to the arguments taking place over the fence and the way that destabilizes the relationship
metaphor: comparing neighbours to cats brawling during the day and then settling at night.
contrast: the good dreams are set in contrast to the dark places, implying that the dark will be overcome
alliteration: ‘peace and prosperity’ draw attention to a growing sense of wellbeing captured in the metaphorical use of the verb ‘purr’
metaphor: ‘hope’ is depicted as a cat with typical movements such as rising and stretching and licking wounds with concentrated attention
alliteration: brings together the metaphor of the cat through the play on the verb ‘pads’ and the fragility of the new day and its peace in the choice of ‘pale’
–personification of the moon
–metaphor ‘sharp claws’ symbolise the hurtful comments waiting to cause their neighbours’ pain
–brackets used as an aside to the reader to build a sense of the poet taking them into her confidence
–metaphor ‘hidden weapons’ represent the hurtful comments that wound like claws and ‘sharpened with spite’ refers to the power to inflict deep wounds with words, even though their intention is masked by keeping their ‘weapon’ (of words) hidden from view
–metaphor ‘draw blood’ implies that those comments make their mark like a cat’s claws
–metaphor for the way it makes its mark when people are trying to sleep and going over the hurtful comments so that the whole cycle continues to disturb the peace
In ‘The Moon Watches,’ the reader is invited to view the suburbs from a distance. The moon is the bright ‘eye’ in the dark sky which has the advantage of perspective, of an objective overview of life in the suburbs. The night setting gives the poem a menacing atmosphere which is intensified through the metaphorical comparison between the citizens and cats scrapping in the dark and clawing at each other. Then there is the contrast of the new dawn. However, the light does not bring any real hope (despite the imagery of the cats rising and licking their wounds in a mood of recovery), because the moon anticipates that any peace will be short-lived and the tensions will resurface under cover of the dark. The observation of the moon leaves the reader with a cynical view of suburbia and the ability of people to be reconciled and to live in peace with each other. It ends with a fragile and fake idea of peace that hides the dark reality of discord that lingers beneath the surface.