A young poet is desperate for recognition; a sad, lonely youth living in a garret emulating his hero, Chatterton. Rejected in love and rejected by publishers, his mind is filled with images of robber barons, maidens in distress, medieval castles and magical swords. Pushed beyond endurance, he retreats into his symbolic world and there, tricked by a sorcerer, is convinced that if he could just travel to the moon, he will obtain his heart’s desire. He finally fulfills his ambition but with predictable tragic consequence.