Ah, Moon and Star!

Ah, Moon and Star! - meaning Summary

Longing Blocked by Greater Distance

The speaker directly addresses celestial bodies, admitting their physical remoteness but insisting that such distance would not stop her attempt to reach them. She imagines borrowing natural accoutrements—bird, animal, mythic gear—to visit the moon and star in a single night. The poem then pivots: beyond those luminous bodies exists an even greater gulf, an inaccessible presence often read as the divine. That final barrier renders her longing unfulfillable. The poem therefore contrasts imaginative resourcefulness with an ultimate spiritual separation that cannot be overcome by cleverness or flight.