Lyric Poem · Nature
I watched the Moon around the House
I watched the Moon around the House
Until upon a Pane —
She stopped — a Traveller's privilege — for Rest —
And there upon
I gazed — as at a stranger —
The Lady in the Town
Doth think no incivility
To lift her Glass — upon —
But never Stranger justified
The Curiosity
Like Mine — for not a Foot — nor Hand —
Nor Formula — had she —
But like a Head — a Guillotine
Slid carelessly away —
Did independent, Amber —
Sustain her in the sky —
Or like a Stemless Flower —
Upheld in rolling Air
By finer Gravitations —
Than bind Philosopher —
No Hunger — had she — nor an Inn —
Her Toilette — to suffice —
Nor Avocation — nor Concern
For little Mysteries
As harass us — like Life — and Death —
And Afterwards — or Nay —
But seemed engrossed to Absolute —
With shining — and the Sky —
The privilege to scrutinize
Was scarce upon my Eyes
When, with a Silver practise —
She vaulted out of Gaze —
And next — I met her on a Cloud —
Myself too far below
To follow her superior Road —
Or its advantage — Blue —
Full-text availability follows the United States display decision recorded below; status can differ elsewhere.
“I watched the Moon around the House” by Emily Dickinson — quilloak.com/poems/i-watched-the-moon-around-the-house
Quick facts
- Poem
- I watched the Moon around the House
- Poet
- Emily Dickinson
- Length
- 36 lines
- Form
- Lyric Poem
- Themes
- Nature, Death & Loss
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
- 36 lines · 9 quatrains
- End rhyme
- No regular perfect end rhyme. The poem may still be using slant rhyme, assonance, or internal echo, which this check does not score.
- Line length
- Lines run 6-8 syllables (median 7). 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 watched the Moon around the House 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 12522dd7081e2eb2…
- Editorial handling
- Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.
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