Lyric Poem · Nature

'Twas later when the summer went

by Emily Dickinson

Than when the Cricket came —

And yet we knew that gentle Clock

Meant nought but Going Home —

'Twas sooner when the Cricket went

Than when the Winter came

Yet that pathetic Pendulum

Keeps esoteric Time.

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

“'Twas later when the summer went” by Emily Dickinson — quilloak.com/poems/twas-later-when-the-summer-went

Quick facts

Poem: 'Twas later when the summer went
Poet: Emily Dickinson
Length: 8 lines
Form: Lyric Poem, Short Poems
Themes: Nature, Summer, Winter, 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: 8 lines · one 8-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: PoetryDB'Twas later when the summer went 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 7c3d8ed269f446e1…
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 Nature Summer Winter Short

Keep reading

Bright Star

John Keats · 1819

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art—Not in lone splendour hung aloft the nightAnd watching, with eternal lids apart,

14 lines · sonnet

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

Christopher Marlowe · 1599

Come live with me and be my love,And we will all the pleasures prove,That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,

24 lines · lyric

The Old Pond (haiku)

Matsuo Bashō · 1686

an old pond, still —a frog leaps into water:the sound of the splash

3 lines · haiku

More nature poems →