Question

describe the effect of the moonlight on water in the poem silver

Answer 1

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In the poem "Silver" by Walter de la Mare, what are some themes? What is the poem's representational level (sentence summary of the... show more

5 answers · Poetry 

 Best Answer

Walter de la Mare’s “Silver” is an innovative sonnet, consisting of seven rimed couplets. Its theme reveals the mysterious, fantastic world that appears on a silent night with the moon shining brightly upon the landscape.The simple content and rhyme scheme of the poem make it a very good example of a poem that should be read aloud. The emphasis is on the aesthetic quality rather than some unique massage or idea the writer wishes to convey. The poem is written in iambic pentameter, i.e, a line containing 5 iambs. 
So this poem was meant to be read aloud and provide entertainment. 
Walter the la Mare was a night watcher and a 'moon enthusiast' and wished to convey the scenic beauty and the nostalgic feelings this image creates. He captivated this beauty with various personifications and makes the readers feel that they are engulfed in the silver beams of the Moon. The readers instantly feel soothed by the moon's gleam. So that's basically the purpose of the poem. The word silver is mentioned 9 times yet he was able to incorporate it without getting on the nerves of the reader. That was the introduction i guess. 
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SUMMARY 
'Silver' is probably the best English poem on the visible effects of moonlight on a countryside-the whole scene is turned to silver, all still and gleaming. With the sound of a pin drop silence, the moon appears to move across the night sky. As though wearing her mysterious shoes, the moon 'walks' by passing slowly from east to west across the sky. As the moon comes over the sky of human settlements below, slowly by slowly and one by one the the windows of the houses are touched by the silver beams of the moon. Inside the kennel, the dog is lying down like a log. Only the dog's paws are 'silver' because the rest of the dog's body is within the kennel (The writer picks out particular parts of the animals' bodies as well, claws, breasts, eyes. It is as though the moonlight highlights particular parts of the animals, accentuating them). Inside the dark and shadowy shelter of dove-cote, the numerous doves sleep with their feathers exposed to the silvery light of the moon. A very small harvest mouse which lives among the corn stalks is running quickly and lightly all around the field. In the nearby waters of a stream, an unmoving fish remains underneath the gleaming waters near the reeds brightened by the moonlight. The only movements are those of the slow moon and the quick mouse. But the silver is not even skin-deep; The repetitions of the 'soft' consonants l,m,s,v, reminds us that the scene is full of sleeping life. 

FULL ANALYSIS 

First Couplet 
The first couplet sets the scene by letting the reader know that the time is night, and the moon is shining. But the speaker dramatizes the moon’s activity by claiming that the “moon / Walks the night.” Instead of merely shining, the moon is walking, and she is walking in silver slippers—he uses the quaint British dialect “shoon” for “shoes” which creates a marvelous rime with “moon.” The moon in her silver slippers walks “slowly” and “silently.” Serenity and peace emanate from those two lines, and anyone who has had the pleasure of contemplatively observing such a moon-drenched scene will appreciate this recapturing of that experience. 

Second Couplet 
While in the introductory couplet, the moon is walking slowly and silently in her silver slippers, the second couplet finds her looking at the fruit trees, perhaps apple or peach trees, and observing that they appear to be silver—both the fruit and the trees. The metaphor of the moon wearing silver slippers creates a far-reaching expansion in this night scene. The glow of those silver shoes adds a rich silver sheen to everything it touches.