With this year’s rare instance of a full moon on Christmas, I thought this the perfect time to enjoy this little gem from Poe. Of course, remember it’s Poe, and so in this case the moon is malevolent; it’s the evening star that brings hope of a better future:

EVENING STAR

‘Twas noontide of summer,

And mid-time of night;

And stars, in their orbits,

Shone pale, thro’ the light

Of the brighter, cold moon,

‘Mid planets her slaves,

Herself in the Heavens,

Her beam on the waves.

I gazed awhile

On her cold smile;

Too cold–too cold for me-

There pass’d, as a shroud,

A fleecy cloud,

And I turned away to thee,

Proud Evening Star,

In thy glory afar,

And dearer thy beam shall be;

For joy to my heart

Is the proud part

Thou bearest in Heaven at night,

And more I admire

Thy distant fire,

Than that colder, lowly light.

–Edgar A. Poe, 1827

Poe published this in 1827, and by that time had already suffered many of the privations of his hard life. So this evening star provides some kind of hope, a focus away from the pallor of the moon that seems to shine over the Poet’s life. And if Mr. Poe hadn’t been a grand dreamer, full of hope, he never would’ve managed to create many of his masterpieces we still enjoy today.

Merry Christmas everyone!