Summary

The speaker begins by stating that he typically writes in the "still" of night (2). The only source of light is the moon, which intensely illuminates the world. While the speaker practices writing poems, lovers lie together in bed with all their sorrow and grief present. Money and prestige do not motivate the speaker to write. Instead, he strives to make poems worthy of these lovers' most private and heartfelt experiences.

In the second stanza, the speaker claims that he does not write for proud people who have no relationship with the moon, nor the countless dead. The famous dead already have their nightingales and psalms to honor them. Instead, the speaker dedicates his work to ordinary people and perhaps to timeless experiences like love and grief in general. These lovers pay no money or attention to the speaker as he writes.

Analysis

"In my...