Martha Hix

 

Honors English 9

 

Mr. Maite

 

March 6, 2002

 

Poem Critical Analysis

 

 

            The moon is most spectacular on a foggy night.  It wears a misty halo of light encircles a pearl in a midnight blue ocean. Poets have offered their depictions of the moon for centuries. One poem particularly impresses me.  Emily Dickinson’s “The Moon was But a Chin of Gold”, I think it is exceptionally pretty and descriptive.  In my mind, it paints a clear picture of the moon, because of its imagery, color, and space words.  Personification is used to depict the moon as a godly being with human traits.  Through Dickinson’s description, the reader knows the poem is about the moon without reading the first line.  Imagery, color and space words, and personification are used to make us infer that the poem is about the moon.

            First, Dickinson used imagery.  The simile, “Her cheek like beryl stone” (l.6) implies that the moon’s cheek feels like smooth stone.  Dickinson uses the imagery to help us picture what the moon feels like by giving it a smooth texture.  The reader can see and hear the onomatopoeia in, “Beside your twinkling door” (l.16).  In my mind, I can see something sparkling, with ringing sounds, when I read that line.  This imagery gives the moon attributes other than what we can see.  Dickinson also includes  visual imagery, using words that describe colors and space.

            Next, Dickinson uses descriptions associated with colors and space, which is another type of imagery.  When I read this poem, I am surprised of how many color words, such as “gold, amber, silver, beryl”, which are all colorful stones, are used.  Additionally, the poem includes “blue” and “blond” which are not stones.  These color descriptions are used to give the moon color.  Otherwise, the moon would just be described as white, which is how we normally describe it.  However, Dickinson never uses white, which makes her poem unique.  She also uses many space words, such as “stars, universe, and night.”  These space words are used to imply that the subject of the poem is a remote star in the night.  The reader could infer that the poem would probably be is about the moon.  These color and space words give the moon its color, and help interpret the image of the moon.

            Lastly, and most importantly, Dickinson uses personification.  The whole poem seems to describe the moon as a godly being with human features.  The first stanza states, “The moon was but a chin of gold.” (l.1) This means the moon was a small sliver, and not full. “And now she turns her perfect face”(l.3), implies that the moon is now full, and has a round face, like a person.  In the second and third stanza she proceeds to give the moon a forehead, cheeks, eyes, and lips that smile.  In the last stanza she gives the moon a bonnet, shoes and even a belt.  Dickinson uses personification to make the moon seem like a person. But, you get the feeling, especially when she says what a privilege it must be to be the most remote star, that the moon is more than just a common person.  The moon is like a queen, staring down upon her subjects, the stars.  Most of the personification in this poem is about the moon’s face, which in reality the surface of the moon is.  To conclude, Dickinson uses personification to give the moon its unique godly features.

            I found my poem, when I was reading another poem by Dickinson, “The Crickets Sang.”  What impressed me were the unique imagery, the abundance of space and color words, and personification.  Several poems have been written about the moon.  This poem is extraordinary, because of Dickinson’s ability to mystically portray the moon.