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Lyric Poem · Nature

Besides the Autumn poets sing

by Emily Dickinson

Besides the Autumn poets sing

A few prosaic days

A little this side of the snow

And that side of the Haze —

A few incisive Mornings —

A few Ascetic Eves —

Gone — Mr. Bryant's "Golden Rod" —

And Mr. Thomson's "sheaves."

Still, is the bustle in the Brook —

Sealed are the spicy valves —

Mesmeric fingers softly touch

The Eyes of many Elves —

Perhaps a squirrel may remain —

My sentiments to share —

Grant me, Oh Lord, a sunny mind —

Thy windy will to bear!

Full-text availability follows the United States display decision recorded below; status can differ elsewhere.

Quick facts

Poem
Besides the Autumn poets sing
Poet
Emily Dickinson
Length
16 lines
Form
Lyric Poem
Themes
Nature, Autumn, Winter

Craft notes

How this poem works

Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.

Shape
16 lines · 4 quatrains
Line length
Lines run 6-8 syllables (median 7). No single length dominates, which is normal once elision and contraction are in play.

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Text, source & rights

A traceable edition

Full-text display is based on the committed source record and a United States term-expiry review.

Author record
Emily Dickinson1830–1886
Source record
PoetryDBBesides the Autumn poets sing by emily-dickinson, PoetryDB transcription
Display decision
Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record
Not recorded in the imported source
Text fingerprint
SHA-256 9fc62d846fde9431
Editorial handling
Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.
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