I Hate the Moon by Robert Graves
The poem explores a deep-seated aversion to the Moon, contrasting its perceived beauty and joyfulness with a personal sense of dread and madness. The speaker expresses a strong dislike for the Moon's brightness, which they find cruel and unsettling. This aversion is intensified by the belief that the Moon has a malevolent influence on people, driving them to madness. The speaker prefers the stars, finding solace in their presence, particularly in constellations like the Big Bear and a star resembling a diamond ring. The Moon's "stupid face" and its "horrible stony stare" evoke feelings of fear and discomfort, suggesting that the speaker associates it with a looming threat. The imagery conveys a sense of isolation and a distorted perception of the world under the Moon's light, which transforms the environment into something unrecognizable and frightening. The poem captures a struggle between the beauty that others see in the Moon and the speaker's personal turmoil. The Moon symbolizes a force that disrupts the speaker's peace, leading to a foreboding sense that it will eventually cause them harm. This internal conflict highlights themes of madness, fear, and the subjective nature of beauty, ultimately presenting the Moon as a powerful, ominous presence in the speaker's life.
By Robert Graves · First published 1945 · Genre: Poetry, Lyric, Nature · 183 words
First lines
(_After a moonlight patrol near the Brickstacks_)
I hate the Moon, though it makes most people glad, / And they giggle and talk of silvery beams -- you know! / But _she_ says the look of the Moon drives people mad, / And that's the thing that always frightens me so.
I hate it worst when it's cruel and round and bright, / And you can't make out the marks on its stupid face, / Except when you shut your eyelashes, and all night / The sky looks green, and the world's a horrible place.
I like the stars, and especially the Big Bear / And the W star, and one like a diamond ring, / But I _hate_ the Moon and its horrible stony stare, / And I know one day it'll do me some dreadful thing.
What this Textopian page supports
I Hate the Moon is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Graves, dated 1945 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Graves
- Date: 1945 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric, Nature, Dark Fantasy, Romanticism
- Length: 183 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for I Hate the Moon by Robert Graves
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse, employing rhythm and imagery typical of poetry.
- Lyric — The poem expresses personal emotions and feelings towards the moon, characteristic of lyric poetry.
- Nature — The poem reflects on natural elements, particularly the moon and stars, exploring their impact on human emotions.
- Dark Fantasy — The themes of madness and fear associated with the moon suggest elements of dark fantasy.
Tags
moon · hate · fear · night · darkness · madness · nature · emotions · stars · anxiety · loneliness · imagery