In this poem, setting is important. The poet/speaker writes at night, lit by the full moon that is immediately personified as something that “rages” (Line 3) and casts a “singing light” (Line 6). Endowing the moon with the ability to produce emotive noise makes this celestial object into a symbol of artistic creation. Its self-expression inspires the poet, calling to mind the ancient Greek idea of the muses—divine beings from whom comes all artistic ideation.

Because the moon is a nighttime phenomenon, it is traditionally linked to the concepts of mystery and obscurity. The poem evokes these associations when its speaker confirms that he is composing despite being uncertain whether anyone will ever read what he labors over. Just as he is alone and only partially illuminated by the nighttime lighting, so too will be remain shrouded in obscurity after his writing is forgotten. However, this knowledge does little to muffle the intensity of his “labour” (Line 6), which separates him from the normal activity of nighttime—all other people, he imagines, “lie abed” (Line 4). Under the encouragement of the full moon, the poet writes on, revealing the hidden to an

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