What do you find particularly memorable about the poets portrayal of night and moonlight in Amends (by Adrienne

Rich) and Full Moon and Little Frieda (by Ted Hughes)? Support your answer with details from both poems. Both Adrienne Rich and Ted Hughes describe the moonlight as something that is special, supernatural, and divine, while Rich describes night as a curse and Hughes admires the night. In Amends by Adrienne Rich, the night is described to bring many bad things, and requires the moonlight to apologise for its mischiefs. Negative imagery is used to describe the damage done to the earth by the night. For example, the broken ledge is a very rough image, and it is as if the earth had done something wrong by making the ledge aesthetically displeasing. It makes the reader feel bad, and that they should do something about it. Rich then uses the moonlight to compensate for the misdeeds, as if it is very special. She makes the moonlight appear in different forms by using different verbs to describe how it moves. Rich compares the moonlight to a type of liquid, by using verbs like soaks and pours. It makes the action sound very graceful and soothing, like someone who is trying to apologise for others misdeeds. Rich also compares the moonlight to something tangible, by using verbs such as dwells and leans. The fact that it is tangible make the apology sound more sincere and honest, instead of empty talk. The phrase laying tis cheeks emphasises the gentleness and beauty of the moonlight, making it sound very influential. In Full Moon and Little Frieda by Ted Hughes, the night is a good thing, unlike the night described by Adrienne Rich. The night described by Hughes is very simple, and is said to be a cool small evening shrunk to a dog bark and clank of a bucket. It is a very natural phenomenon to hear these sounds in a small village or a neighbourhood. It implies to the reader that the night is very quiet, even small noises like these are heard. The phrase and you listening shows that the night is very dark, and one has to listen carefully in order to be conscious of what is happening. Different imagery is used by Hughes to make the night seem like a typical one, and one that is pleasing and comfortable. The moon described by Hughes is similar to the moon described by Rich. They both treat the moon as divine and even legendary, as it has to ability to change things. In Full Moon and Little Frieda, the moon is called upon three times by you. It shows the persons admiration to the moon, and how special that person thinks the moon is. Not only is the person surprised, he/she is glad that the moon lights up the night. The phrase points at him amazed shows the shock that the person feels when he/she sees the moon, and can see how special it is. Comparing the moon to an artist suggest that the poet thinks the moon is the creator of everything, and is praising it for its ingenuity. Although the representation of the night is different in the two poems, both poets treat the moonlight as something very special, and worships the moon.