“Meditation on a Summer Evening” is a poem by Anna Letitia Barbauld published in 1773. The poem details the expansive thoughts of the thinking speaker. and philosophize about the sky of a summer evening. In this poem, Barbauld transports readers through the cosmos for a transcendental experience through his poetic stylization and use of literary devices, particularly personification. Through the personification of the planets and stars, Barbauld communicates the speaker's sense of divine connection with nature. Barbauld's "Meditation on a Summer Evening" is a romantic presentation of an astral projection-like meditative experience that leads to greater self-knowledge and a closer connection with God. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The poem begins at the end of the day and the speaker of the poem is relieved by the sunset as the night sky allows for a more meditative state of mind reading. Barbauld describes the sun as an oppressive figure that stifles the wonders of the night sky through its personification. This representation of the sun highlights the importance of the temporal setting of night for the speaker's transcendental experience; furthermore, this attribution of human qualities to the sun allows the speaker to understand the sun in a more meaningful way. Barbauld opens the poem with an exclamatory remark to emphasize the importance of the sunset. She writes: “It happened! The sensual tyrant of the South spent his fleeting rage; more grateful hours Continue in silence; the heavens no longer grow backThe dazzling spectacle… (1-4)Barbauld's personification of the sun as a “sensual tyrant” underlines the relief felt by the speaker at sunset. The sun doesn't just shine; rather, it rages oppressively with stifling heat, humidity, and brightness. The stars, which Barbauld describes as having a feminine beauty and a soft, flowing grace, are "repulsed" by the harsh nature of the sun. Nighttime is personified as the "most grateful hours" of the day, implying that the sun is ungrateful. It is clear that the sun is the enemy of the speaker's meditative mind. As the heavy sun sets, the moon and stars begin to shine in the night sky, and the speaker of the poem finds herself in a state of contemplation. Unlike the negative connotation given to the sun by Barbauld's use of personification, the moon and stars are personified in terms of radiance and favorability. Barbauld, personifying the moon in contrast to the sun, writes, ...but with soft maiden rays, of temperate luster, run the darling eye to wander over their sphere; where, suspended in the air, the luminous crescent of Diana, like a new silver bow strung in the sky, raises high its radiant horns, impatient for the night, and seems to push its brother towards the sky. (4-10) Unlike the sun, which is personified as an oppressive figure, the night sky is personified as an inviting and gentle feminine figure. The depiction of the glow of the moonbeam “wooing” the “darling eye” highlights the tone with which Barbauld approaches the night sky. Through his personification of the moon, Barbauld creates a connection between the speaker and the moon that goes beyond simple stargazing. The moon invites the speaker's eyes to peer into the sky, to find peace in the vast night sky, in its infinite beauty and opportunities. Unlike the thankless sun, the moon is eager, or eager, to cling to the sky and shine its. 43–45.