Point of View

“The Garden By Moonlight” is told from the first-person point of view using the pronoun “I”. However, the speaker isn’t made apparent until almost half way through the poem: “Low as the sweet alyssum flowers at my feet” (Line 10). It’s only at this point that the reader understands the narration which led to this moment is seen through the eyes of someone in the garden, sitting or standing above the alyssum flowers. Later, the speaker reveals that they’ve been talking to a specific person with whom they feel a very deep connection. The speaker remains largely objective and external until the poem’s very last lines, at which point they begin looking inward to their own fears and needs.

Language and Meaning

As an imagist poet, Amy Lowell was devoted to using simple, concrete language that was accessible to a wide range...