Lyric Poem · Childhood

I noticed People disappeared

by Emily Dickinson

When but a little child —

Supposed they visited remote

Or settled Regions wild —

But did because they died

A Fact withheld the little child —

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

“I noticed People disappeared” by Emily Dickinson — quilloak.com/poems/i-noticed-people-disappeared

Quick facts

Poem: I noticed People disappeared
Poet: Emily Dickinson
Length: 6 lines
Form: Lyric Poem, Short Poems
Themes: Childhood, Death & Loss, Short

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: 6 lines · one 6-line stanza
Line length: Lines run 6-8 syllables (median 8), consistent with tetrameter. No single length dominates, which is normal once elision and contraction are in play.

Want the rules this form is measured against? Read what makes a lyric poem, or run your own draft through the form checker to see the same measurements on your lines. How we measure · Report a mistake

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: PoetryDBI noticed People disappeared 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 89f3fbb48f73b22a…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

Jurisdiction-specific, never a worldwide claimRights policy Report a text or rights issue

Lyric Poem Short Poems Childhood Death & Loss Short

Keep reading

Doorframe

The QuillOak Editors

You marked my height in pencilon the doorframe every spring,and I stretched up on tiptoe,

8 lines · lyric

The Kitchen at Night

The QuillOak Editors

The house has gone to sleep around me and the kitchen keeps its one small light.The refrigerator hums the way it has hummed through every house I have ever lived in.My mother stood here, and her mother, each of them alone with the late hour and the quiet.

5 lines · prose poem

Cradle Song

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

What does little birdie sayIn her nest at peep of day?Let me fly, says little birdie,

16 lines · lyric

More poems about childhood →