In Emily Dickinson's "A Murmur in the Trees—to note," a solemn speaker describes the peculiar things they've observed in the woods: hovering stars, eerie "Murmur[s]," and scurrying "little Men" making their way to secret dens. The world is full of such strange sights, the speaker says—or at least, it is if you're willing to see them. This poem, like nearly all of Dickinson's work, was published posthumously; Dickinson probably wrote it around 1862, but it didn't appear in print until the 1896 collection Poems.
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The Full Text of “A Murmur in the Trees—to note—”
1A Murmur in the Trees—to note—
2Not loud enough—for Wind—
3A star—not far enough to seek—
4Nor near enough—to find—
5A long—long Yellow—on the Lawn—
6A Hubbub—as of feet—
7Not audible—as Ours—to us—
8But dapperer—more sweet—
9A Hurrying Home of little Men
10To Houses unperceived—
11All this—and more—if I should tell—
12Would never be believed—
13Of Robins in the Trundle bed
14How many I espy
15Whose Nightgowns could not hide the Wings—
16Although I heard them try—
17But then I promised ne'er to tell—
18How could I break My word?
19So go your way—and I'll go Mine—
20No fear you'll miss the Road.
The Full Text of “A Murmur in the Trees—to note—”
1A Murmur in the Trees—to note—
2Not loud enough—for Wind—
3A star—not far enough to seek—
4Nor near enough—to find—
5A long—long Yellow—on the Lawn—
6A Hubbub—as of feet—
7Not audible—as Ours—to us—
8But dapperer—more sweet—
9A Hurrying Home of little Men
10To Houses unperceived—
11All this—and more—if I should tell—
12Would never be believed—
13Of Robins in the Trundle bed
14How many I espy
15Whose Nightgowns could not hide the Wings—
16Although I heard them try—
17But then I promised ne'er to tell—
18How could I break My word?
19So go your way—and I'll go Mine—
20No fear you'll miss the Road.
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“A Murmur in the Trees—to note—” Summary
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“A Murmur in the Trees—to note—” Themes
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The Magic and Mystery of Nature
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Openness to Enchantment
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “A Murmur in the Trees—to note—”
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Lines 1-4
A Murmur in the Trees—to note—
Not loud enough—for Wind—
A star—not far enough to seek—
Nor near enough—to find— -
Lines 5-8
A long—long Yellow—on the Lawn—
A Hubbub—as of feet—
Not audible—as Ours—to us—
But dapperer—more sweet— -
Lines 9-12
A Hurrying Home of little Men
To Houses unperceived—
All this—and more—if I should tell—
Would never be believed— -
Lines 13-16
Of Robins in the Trundle bed
How many I espy
Whose Nightgowns could not hide the Wings—
Although I heard them try— -
Lines 17-20
But then I promised ne'er to tell—
How could I break My word?
So go your way—and I'll go Mine—
No fear you'll miss the Road.
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“A Murmur in the Trees—to note—” Symbols
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The Road
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“A Murmur in the Trees—to note—” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Imagery
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Parallelism
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Irony
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Alliteration
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“A Murmur in the Trees—to note—” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Murmur
- Hubbub
- Audible
- Dapperer
- Trundle bed
- Espy
- Ne'er
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- See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “A Murmur in the Trees—to note—”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“A Murmur in the Trees—to note—” Speaker
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“A Murmur in the Trees—to note—” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “A Murmur in the Trees—to note—”
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More “A Murmur in the Trees—to note—” Resources
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External Resources
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The Poem in Manuscript — See a copy of the poem in Dickinson's hand.
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The Dickinson Museum — Visit the website of the Emily Dickinson Museum to find a treasure trove of information on the poet's life and work.
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The Poem Set to Music — Listen to an eerie musical interpretation of the poem.
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Dickinson's Legacy — Read an article about the unlikely survival of Dickinson's poetry, most of which was written on scraps of paper and concealed in a trunk.
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Dickinson's Influence — Read contemporary writer Helen Oyeyemi's appreciation of Dickinson.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Emily Dickinson
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