To the Moon

-          Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

This is a single interrogative sentence poem. It describes the joyless moon that does not find anything constant in this world. It is itself inconstant. That is why it seems to be in quest of constancy.

The speaker of the poem is asking a question to the moon. The speaker thinks that the moon is tired because of climbing up toward the heaven and gazing on the earth. It is also tired because of lonely journey. Though there are stars in the sky, the moon feels alone because of its difference to them. The moon is always changing and unhappy to its condition. 

When we analyse the poem, we find a deeper meaning in it. The ‘moon’ is the poet himself. He is different from the common people or ‘the stars’.  He is ever ‘climbing heaven’ means he is trying to get beyond the common notion on anything. Whatever he thinks or does is beyond the commoners’ understanding. So, he is always alone and is tired of his loneliness.