The moon has a face like the clock in the hall;
She shines on thieves on the garden wall,
On streets and fields and harbour quays,
And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees.
The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse,
The howling dog by the door of the house,
The bat that lies in bed at noon,
All love to be out by the light of the moon.
But all of the things that belong to the day
Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way;
And flowers and children close their eyes
Till up in the morning the sun shall arise.
From The Moon by Robert Louis Stevenson (1885). Public domain.
Check your understanding
1. What does the speaker compare the moon's face to in the first line of the poem?
2. According to the poem, what do things that 'belong to the day' do when the moon is out?
3. The poet uses words like squalling, squeaking, and howling to describe the animals at night. How do these words help you imagine the night scene?
4. The poem talks about two different groups of things: those who love the moon and those who belong to the day. Explain the difference between these two groups using examples from the poem.
5. The poem says the moon shines on thieves and birdies asleep. Based on these descriptions, how does the moon treat the things it shines on? Does it pick favorites?