# In the Mist of the Moon explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Langston Hughes.

## What happens

The speaker describes a vision of Nanette in the moonlight, portraying her as a blend of darkness and light, lovelier than the moon itself.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Loss

The poem captures a moment of idealized love and longing for Nanette.

### Nature and the Elements

The moon and mist create a natural, ethereal setting for the vision.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The speaker who sees Nanette in the mist of the moon.

## Key lines

> In the mist of the moon I saw you, O, Nanette, And you were lovelier than the moon.

Through the hazy moonlight, I glimpsed you, Nanette, and your beauty surpassed the moon's.

_The speaker compares Nanette's beauty favorably to the moon._

> You were darkness, And the body of darkness. And light, And the body of light.

You embodied both darkness and light, physically and spiritually.

_Nanette is portrayed as a union of opposites._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se/chapters/in-the-mist-of-the-moon
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_15_se/chapters