Critically examine the poem 'To The Moon.'

Thomas Hardy was a well-known poet and novelist of the Victorian era. His works as a poet and story writer cover a very few years of the twentieth century. His poems reveal the dissatisfaction of his heart. Through his poems, he tried to explore the harsh realities of life.

According to his own words, "his works were questionings in the exploration of reality and the first step towards the soul's betterment and the body's. His concern as an artist was with revealing the harsh realities of the world. His serious nature provides him with philosophical speculations. Hardy was bad. influenced by the German philosopher Schopenhauer.

Hardy is of the view that this life is of sufferings and sorrows. His characters are victims of fate and chance. Hardy says, 'Happiness is an occasional episode in the general dream of pain. God was denied by Hardy on the basis of the sorrow that derided life." 

The poem "To The Moon" is a fine lyric that denotes the poet's desire to have historical knowledge of the past. 

All the romantics seek pleasure in the lap of nature, the poet seems to be bored by the materialism of the world, so he seeks pleasure and beauty as the beautiful objects of nature. Here is his poem, the poet does not believe in the benign providence presiding over the universe.

Poem 'To The Moon.'

‘What have you looked at, Moon,
In your time,
Now long past your prime?’
‘O, I have looked at, often looked at
Sweet, sublime,
Sore things, shudderful, night and noon
In my time.’

‘What have you mused on, Moon,
In your day,
So aloof, so far away?’
‘O, I have mused on, often mused on
Growth, decay,
Nations alive, dead, mad, aswoon,
In my day!’

‘Have you much wondered, Moon,
On your rounds,
Self-wrapt, beyond Earth’s bounds?’
‘Yea, I have wondered, often wondered
At the sounds
Reaching me of the human tune
On my rounds.’

‘What do you think of it, Moon,
As you go?
Is Life much, or no?’
‘O, I think of it, often think of it
As a show
God ought surely to shut up soon,
As I go.’

In almost all his poems Hardy challenges more or less openly the Orthodox, belief in a wise and loving Creator and Ruler of the Universe. 

In this poem, the poet asks many questions to the moon and The Moon replies according to the poet's intention. Hardy's pessimistic vision of life can be clearly seen in this poem. 

The poet wants to know about the past of his life, he also wants to know about the contemplation of the Moon during his separation from the world. At this the moon replies he had seen man's rise as well as his downfall, he further said he had heard the sad music of humanity during his vision.

In the concluding lines, The Moon expresses his feelings saying that at the day of chaos the world will reach its end, according to the desires of God 

Structure -

This poem is a fine lyric. The style of the poem is simple and its tone is colloquial. There is no artificiality in the poem. 

The poem has four stanzas. has a single question and its reply to the poet.

Here the poet thinks Universe is not a puppet in the hands of fate and chance. This poem is an exploration of the poet into the past. The poet thinks change must be and it is the law of nature itself. 

The rhyme scheme of the stanzas is ab bc bab. The conversation between the poet and the Moon shows his pessimistic vision of the poet about the world and its people. It is lyrical and based on single mood of the poet.