Trees (Emily Dickinson)

The poet uses vivid visual and auditory imagery to paint the Summer’s day: the trees “like Tassels” swinging, the “Tune” rising from “Miniature Creatures,” the “Psalteries of Summer” that charm the ear, the Sun shining “whole at intervals — / Then Half — then utter hid,” a bird on the fence, a snake winding round a stone, and bright flowers that seem to “soar upon a Stem.” These images make the scene lively, musical, and changing, so it seems more beautiful than any painting.

“Psalteries of Summer” means the sweet, musical sounds of summer—the sounds made by trees, birds, insects, and the whole living scene. A psaltery is a stringed musical instrument, so the phrase suggests that summer itself seems like a grand piece of music to the ear.

Creatures are given human qualities in lines such as “A Bird sat careless on the fence” and “One gossiped in the Lane.” The bird is shown as careless, like a person, and the sounds in the lane are described as gossiping. This personification makes nature seem alive, playful, and full of companionship, which adds charm and beauty to the Summer’s day.