The poetic speaker is speaking from a third person point of view
while describing the world surrounding Little Frieda as she goes out to fetch water on an early,
though dark, winter's night. (It must be early night because the cows are just now returning home
to be milked and because the water-mirror tempts a "first star" to a tremor; it must be winter
because only winter has early dark nights). The speaker describes the dark night in terms of
sounds, minute sights, and water in a bucket. Then the speaker describes the cows breath; their
physical might ("dark river ... many boulders"); the milk "unspilled" in their udders. Then
Frieda sees the moon, and the speaker describes the moon in terms of a personification in which
the moon sees Little Frieda with equal wonder, awe, and delight.
The
only aspect of "childhood relationships" that is apparent within the text is the loosely
suggested relationship between Frieda and the bits of nature near her and surrounding her in the
cosmos (e.g., dog, spider web, water, first star, moon). The most significant relationship that
is suggested is that of wonder and awe between Little Frieda and the moon, which is reciprocated
through personification between the moon and Little Frieda. The speaker is completely
unidentified, except by tone, which is one of tender admiration, and so might be any loving
individual with whom Frieda has a relationship; an omniscient impersonal speaker who is narrating
from afar; a nearby observer who may be known or unknown to Frieda. Consequently, there are no
significant indicators of "the importance of childhood relationships in 'Full Moon and Little
Frieda'," except for the one indicator of the awe-filled joy she experiences when she finds
herself unexpectedly face to face with the Moon, which was equally delighted with her through
personification.
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