Poetry Analysis Pt II

Poetry Analysis Pt I: Poem 289

Does the autumn moon
cast its light so starkly
on the mountain's edge
that we may count
each colored leaf that falls?

-Anonymous

I chose this next poem because the author was anonymous, and because the poem ends in a question - it is one big question (and, perhaps possibly because I read it almost after the previous poem and I liked this one the best following it first...but that's only part of the reason). Also, I find it interesting that the topic is unknown. This leaves it open to various interpretation. At face value, I see the words autumn, moon, leaf and draw assumptions that the the poem is about the simple turn of the season. However, since this is found in the Love section of the Kokinshu, I will instead turn my attention to what these words can mean in accordance.

First, the cycles of a relationship can be compared to the turning of seasons:

Spring - Flirty glances, small poems of longing, doe eyes. Basically the crush phase.
Summer - Hot, passionate romps.
Autumn - The cool down period...you no longer live together, but you do occasional drivebys at his old home, hoping to catch a glimpse before you hit up Taco-Bell before it closes at 2am.
Winter - You've broken up and are now eying that jerk's older, more understanding brother.

and, now the time of day/night can be split into two categories:
Daylight - everyone knows about your affair.
Moonlight - you're still adept at hiding your affair, but your parents may be suspecting.

I take this to mean, that since this is in the autumn, the relationship is rapidly cooling, slowly coming to light in other circles. The fact that there is a good deal (starkly) of moonlight falling on something so large as a mountain? the cat must be getting out of the bag soon. I personally like the adverb, starkly. Because it reminds me of the term stark naked. Everything's out in the open, exposed. The relationship is no longer fun and the leaves are not only rich and brightly colored, but they are falling, one by one - dying almost as they fall.