Who occupies this House?
A Stranger I must judge
Since No one know His Circumstance —
‘Tis well the name and age
Are writ upon the Door
Or I should fear to pause
Where not so much as Honest Dog
Approach encourages.
It seems a curious Town —
Some Houses very old,
Some — newly raised this Afternoon,
Were I compelled to build
It should not be among
Inhabitants so still
But where the Birds assemble
And Boys were possible.
Before Myself was born
‘Twas settled, so they say,
A Territory for the Ghosts —
And Squirrels, formerly.
Until a Pioneer, as
Settlers often do
Liking the quiet of the Place
Attracted more unto —
And from a Settlement
A Capital has grown
Distinguished for the gravity
Of every Citizen.
The Owner of this House
A Stranger He must be —
Eternity’s Acquaintances
Are mostly so — to me.
(Emily Dickinson)
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Based on Topics: Place Poems, Name Poems, Birds Poems, Age Poems, Ghost Poems, Capital Poems, Citizen PoemsBased on Keywords: settled, approach, eternity, judge, honest, writ, owner, mostly, circumstance, dog, inhabitants