Meaning: The moon emitted a soft and gentle glow on the world as it slept.
Choice of Words: The verb "shone" is used to describe the way the moon emits light. It suggests a soft and gentle glow. The adverb "softly" describes the way in which the moon is shining. The preposition "on" indicates the surface that the moon is shining on. The noun "sleeping world" refers to the world as it is at night when most people are asleep.