Harm Jagerman
The twinkling house in the moonlight

The twinkling house in the moonlight

The poem “The House Was Just Twinkling In The Moon Light” by Gertrude Stein (February 3, 1874 – July 27, 1946) is not only a fascinating poem, it showcases her unique talent as a poet and her talent. It was also a prime example of the experimental use of language and imagery.
Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein in 1935.
Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Who was Gertrude Stein?

Gertrude Stein was an influential writer, poetess, playwright and collector of art. She was born on February 3, 1847, in Allegheny, Pennsylvania and raised in Oakland (California). At the beginning of the twentieth century, she moved to Paris. That’s where she spent the rest of her life.
Stein is known for her experimental writing style. This often included repetition, unusual syntax, and a stream-of-consciousness technique. Her work is avant-garde and stylish.
Among her best-known works The best-known of her works are Three Lives from 1909, Tender Buttons from 1914 and The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas from 1933. The latter book is a quasi-memoir written in the voice of her life partner, Alice B. Toklas (April 30, 1877 – March 7, 1967).
Gertrude Stein in Paris (1930).
Getrude Stein in 1930.
Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Art collection

Stein became known not only for her literary highlights. Her merits for the art world were also something she became known for. The home of herself and Toklas at 27 Eur de Fleurus in Paris became a place for persons from the literary and art worlds. They included none other than Pablo Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Henri Matisse.

Legacy

Stein’s work has had a lasting impact on literature and art. She is credited with coining the term “Lost Generation” to describe the group of American expatriate writers living in Paris after World War I. Her innovative use of language and narrative structure has influenced many writers and artists.

The house was just twinkling in the moonlight

The house was just twinkling in the moon light,
And inside it twinkling with delight,
Is my baby bright.
Twinkling with delight in the house twinkling with the moonlight,
Bless my baby bless my baby bright,
Bless my baby twinkling with delight,
In the house twinkling in the moon light,
Her hubby dear loves to cheer when he thinks
and he always thinks when he knows and he always
knows that his blessed baby wifey is all here and he
is all hers, and sticks to her like burrs, blessed baby

Gertrude Stein
The house was just twinkling in the moonlight

The word burrs in the poem can be interpreted in different ways. It could be a reference to burrs or flower heads. More logical, given the poem’s title and subject matter, is a reference to evening and night. In which light is visible around an object in the sky, the moon or a star (or several stars).

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