Lyric Poem · For Kids

The Star (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)

by Jane Taylor · 1806

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are!

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

When the blazing sun is gone,

When he nothing shines upon,

Then you show your little light,

Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the trav'ller in the dark,

Thanks you for your tiny spark,

He could not see which way to go,

If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,

And often thro' my curtains peep,

For you never shut your eye,

Till the sun is in the sky.

'Tis your bright and tiny spark,

Lights the trav'ller in the dark:

Tho' I know not what you are,

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

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“The Star (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)” by Jane Taylor — quilloak.com/poems/twinkle-twinkle-little-star

Quick facts

Poem: The Star (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)
Poet: Jane Taylor
Published: 1806
Length: 20 lines
Form: Lyric Poem, Rhyming Poems
Themes: For Kids, 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: 20 lines · 5 quatrains
End rhyme: AABB in 60% of the stanzas — couplets. The remaining stanzas vary, often through slant rhyme.
Line length: Mostly 7-syllable lines.
Refrains: “Twinkle, twinkle, little star,”“Twinkle, twinkle, little star.”Repeated lines act as the poem's hinge or drumbeat.

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Text, source & rights

A traceable edition

Full-text display is based on the cited edition and a United States term-expiry review.

Author record: Jane Taylor1783–1824
Source record: WikisourceThe Star (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star) by jane-taylor, Wikisource transcription
Display decision: Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record: 1806
Text fingerprint: SHA-256 f4587b1019569809…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

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Lyric Poem Rhyming Poems For Kids Short

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