Ah Moon By Galway Kinnell I sat here as a boy On these winter rocks, watching The moonshapes change on the skies; Nor did I know then the moon Only affects her mortality. Now no more does a boy Ah Moon! from these rocks Or through a frosted window, cry; And for a dying curve The wiser heart weeps not. Then why to these rocks Do I return, why, The last quarter being nearly Wasted, does the breath Return dragoning the night? Unless it be the soul Is such and such a country Cut by shape and light That would be whole again, So must be dark. From Disney’s The Lion King to Mulan, A Children's book and even a Pink Floyd song, lunar phases, and the sun-moon cycle have always been immensely influential in pop culture. Whether it defines a change, something cyclical in nature, or even a character’s paralysis, the man in the moon is modern culture’s biggest celebrity, always finding a way to stay relevant. Galway Kinnell’s “Ah Moon” is no exception. This lovely little poem takes readers on a journey through the speaker’s childhood as he learns a meaningful lesson through his experience with the moon. In the poem “Ah Moon” by Galway Kinnel, the poet upholds the hopeful tone of the poem, which supports the theme that although change may be difficult and daunting at first, tomorrow is a new day and one will eventually grow to accept that change. Kinnel opens his poem taking readers back to the speaker’s childhood through a story that incites a sense of nostalgia in the audience. The scene that the speaker sets is one that feels familiar to the reader, allowing them to look in on the speaker’s experience and grow alongside him. Kinnel quickly introduces chilling imagery that fills the reader with unease as the speaker sits on “wintery rocks, watching/ The moon-shapes, change on the skies” (2-3). Not only is the speaker physically bothered by the cold, hard rocks, but he is also upset by the coming change brought on by the moon refiguring. This unnerving description doesn’t last for long, as a change in diction brings on a new reflective diction when the speaker admits that “Nor did I know then the moon/ Only affects her mortality”(4-5). This shift in diction begins to plant the roots for the theme of accepting change, to take place. The speaker admits that he had been scared of change and its effects, but as he is reflecting on this story, he reassures the audience that “the moon/ Only affects her mortality”(5); Although change can be sudden and abrupt, one has the choice to accept it and not let it uproot them. This diction also contributes to the hopeful tone as the speaker is affirming the fact that change is in fact disturbing and upsetting, but the world still goes on. The break in stanzas is complemented with another shift in diction, as it becomes much more confident and comfortable, wanting to say “Everything’s okay now!” The speaker’s excitedly accomplished diction supports the hopeful tone as he exclaims how “Now no more does a boy/ Ah Moon! From these rocks”(6-7). The speaker is ecstatic with this newfound confidence as he no longer shouts in fear at the changing of the moon, or the changing of times, and now embraces it affectionately, supporting the hopeful theme. This excitatory diction is furthered by the speaker proclaiming that he will no longer “through a frosted window, cry”(8). The speaker’s excitement is simply intoxicating as he confesses his newfound acceptance of change, and how he can face the future with no grievances. This exuberant diction is simmered to optimistic diction in the last couplet of the poem when the speaker declares that “for a dying curve/ The wiser heart weeps not”(9-10). This powerfully heartfelt ending affirms the speaker’s optimism and contributes to the tone of hopefulness, as he accepts that he will no longer hold remorse for change, and will welcome it gladly proving that tomorrow is truly a new day and that he has grown to accept change as a new and exciting challenge.