Insomnia

The traditional reading of this poem focuses on a more text-based interpretation without considering the context of Bishop’s life. The poem’s title informs readers that this poem will be about insomnia, and the imagery supports this as Bishop sets up the scene at night under a lively moon. The speaker in the poem, presumably an insomniac herself, gazes at the moon in wonder and almost speaks to it, admiring its strength and seemingly connecting with it through their shared insomnia. The foremost qualities the speaker gives the moon are independence, self-assurance, attitude—and femininity. Bishop personifies the moon as a “she.”

In the first stanza, the speaker describes the moon as a visionary that looks out millions of miles across the stars. The moon is prideful. She spends her days daydreaming in sleep and her nights dreaming while awake. This moon, then, is powerful, confident, and has ownership over herself.

While the speaker doesn’t provide any details about herself or her personality, the use of the reflection establishes a connection between speaker and object. What’s tricky to unpack is how the speaker feels about this mirror relationship. This could be a reflection of the speaker’s true spirit.