In “Chosen” the literal moon may have hung in the sky “that August night” (Line 1) when Diverne was raped, which, in the narrator’s memory, is eclipsed by the figurative “sweating moon” (Line 2), or the face of the white man who assaults Diverne. Nelson’s choice to liken the man’s face to the moon is not only a nod to his whiteness, but also refers to his power.

On the other hand, he is also a satellite orbiting Diverne—after all, he goes to her and tracks his motions according to hers. Ultimately, the union between them results in a “starburst joy” (Line 8), Pomp, who becomes “her life’s one light” (Line 5). For Diverne, to use yet another astronomical metaphor, Pomp becomes the sun from which she draws sustenance.