Tone in The Moon

The adjective “murky” means gloomy, dark, or cloudy. This adjective is mostly likely used to describe the stormy atmosphere of the night that accompanies the moon. This adjective emphasizes the melancholic tone of the poem.

By invoking the image of a “dying lady,” Shelley alludes to gothic literature, a genre of writing that combines fiction, horror, death, and romance. This sets a dark tone for the poem and creates an ominous, almost supernatural resonance behind all of the images.