Lyric Poem · Nature

You know that Portrait in the Moon

by Emily Dickinson

You know that Portrait in the Moon —

So tell me who 'tis like —

The very Brow — the stooping eyes —

A fog for — Say — Whose Sake?

The very Pattern of the Cheek —

It varies — in the Chin —

But — Ishmael — since we met — 'tis long —

And fashions — intervene —

When Moon's at full — 'Tis Thou — I say —

My lips just hold the name —

When crescent — Thou art worn — I note —

But — there — the Golden Same —

And when — Some Night — Bold — slashing Clouds

Cut Thee away from Me —

That's easier — than the other film

That glazes Holiday —

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“You know that Portrait in the Moon” by Emily Dickinson — quilloak.com/poems/you-know-that-portrait-in-the-moon

Quick facts

Poem: You know that Portrait in the Moon
Poet: Emily Dickinson
Length: 16 lines
Form: Lyric Poem
Themes: Nature

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
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 8), consistent with tetrameter. 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: PoetryDBYou know that Portrait in the Moon 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 3092caf140eacb9f…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

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Lyric Poem Nature

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