"TO THE MOON"

In response to “To The Moon” by Charlotte Smith…

“Oh! That I soon may reach thy world serene,
Poor wearied pilgrim—in this toiling scene”

The speaker, if one were to interpret the final couplet of the sonnet, is longing for death. They long for a time to be one with the moon so serene in the dark night sky.
The line “poor wearied pilgrim—in this toiling scene” suggests that life is not so easy. In fact they feel like a foreigner in this world wandering through life with much difficulty waiting for it to end.
This sonnet has the ability to appeal to many kind of people. How often do we go through hard times in life and we long to be both alone and yet not alone in the night. The speaker is doing something very common and very human,
by reflecting on life and its troubles in the night time.
The night time is mostly silent and safe from human interference and dark. There is no better time to consider our deepest thoughts than at night.
This is what the speaker is doing. Not only do they consider their own sorrows, but also those of countless others who have confided in their quiet nights.
To be like the moon would be ideal for someone as troubled as the speaker. The moon can escape during the day, and hide behind the sun. However, as a person this is more difficult to do.
For one to shut one’s life out is not easy. The moon gets to come out at night, in the dark, when it is more peaceful. The nighttime is more intimate.
It is better suited for someone to reveal themselves. During the day they may put on a mask and hide their true thoughts and feelings, but in the night there is no need.
It is just them and the moon; the moon that will listen and cause envy.
The kind of envy that lies in the desire to be free of sadness and a desire to be certain of something other than troubling thoughts and emotion.
It’s a desire to be free from all other influences. The speaker talks to the moon, with the hope that someday they will be just like the moon.
Free and separate from the “toiling” human world and to be untouchable and untainted. The sonnet reminds me of one of my favorite bands, Pink Floyd. Their music has a lot to say about life and different events that can happen like drugs and love. Pink Floyd and this sonnet have something in common the work of art sounds great, but there is a deeper meaning there.