Æolian Harp by William Allingham
William Allingham's poem "Æolian Harp" is a romantic ode to the beauty of nature and the power of music. The poem begins with the speaker describing the beauty of the Æolian harp, a musical instrument that is played by the wind. He marvels at the sound of the harp, which he compares to the sound of angels singing. He then goes on to describe the beauty of the night sky, the stars, and the moon, and how they all seem to be in harmony with the music of the harp. The poem ends with the speaker expressing his hope that the music of the harp will bring peace and joy to all who hear it.
By William Allingham · First published 1905 · Genre: Romantic Poetry, Nature Writing, Lyric Poetry · 201 words
First lines
What is it that is gone, we fancied ours? / Oh what is lost that never may be told? -- / We stray all afternoon, and we may grieve / Until the perfect closing of the night. / Listen to us, thou gray Autumnal Eve, / Whose part is silence. At thy verge the clouds / Are broken into melancholy gold; / The waifs of Autumn and the feeble flow'rs / Glimmer along our woodlands in wet light; / Within thy shadow thou dost weave the shrouds / Of joy and great adventure, waxing cold, / Which once, or so it seemed, were full of might. / Some power it was, that lives not with us now, / A thought we had, but could not, could not hold. / O sweetly, swiftly pass'd:air sings and murmurs; / Green leaves are gathering on the dewy bough; / O sadly, swiftly pass'd:air sighs and mutters; / Red leaves are dropping on the rainy mould. / Then comes the snow, unfeatured, vast, and white. / O what is gone from us, we fancied ours? --
What this Textopian page supports
Æolian Harp is listed on Textopian as a poem by William Allingham, dated 1905 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: William Allingham
- Date: 1905 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Romantic Poetry, Nature Writing, Lyric Poetry, Victorian Literature
- Length: 201 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Æolian Harp by William Allingham
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Similar titles
- Duddingstone by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Come Here Is Adieu To The City by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Light As The Linnet On My Way I Start by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Primavera Mia by Sara Teasdale
- Summer Sun by Robert Louis Stevenson
- It Blows A Snowing Gale by Robert Louis Stevenson
Genres
- Romantic Poetry — William Allingham's 'Æolian Harp' is a romantic poem that explores the beauty of nature and the power of music.
- Nature Writing — The poem is filled with vivid descriptions of nature, making it a work of nature writing.
- Lyric Poetry — The poem is written in a lyrical style, making it a work of lyric poetry.
- Victorian Literature — William Allingham was a Victorian poet, making 'Æolian Harp' a work of Victorian literature.
Tags
Poetry · adventure · autumnal · closing · cold · dewy · dropping · eve · fancied · feeble · gathering · glimmer