Phases of the Moon

Elinor Morton Wylie 1885 (Somerville, New Jersey) – 1928 (New York City, New York)



Once upon a time I heard
That the flying moon was a Phoenix bird;
Thus she sails through windy skies,
Thus in the willow's arms she lies;
Turn to the East or turn to the West
In many trees she makes her nest.
When she's but a pearly thread
Look among birch leaves overhead;
When she dies in yellow smoke
Look in a thunder-smitten oak;
But in May when the moon is full,
Bright as water and white as wool,
Look for her where she loves to be,
Asleep in a high magnolia tree.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

29 sec read
116

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCCDDEEFFGG
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 479
Words 96
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

Elinor Morton Wylie

Elinor Morton Wylie was an American poet and novelist popular in the 1920s and 1930s. "She was famous during her life almost as much for her ethereal beauty and personality as for her melodious, sensuous poetry." more…

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    "Phases of the Moon" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 31 Oct. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/10162/phases-of-the-moon>.

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