I ASKED three little maidens who heard the organ play, Where all the music came from that stole our hearts away: "I know," -- said fair-haired Edith, -- "it was the autumn breeze That whistled through the hollows of all those silver trees." "No, child!" -- said keen-eyed Clara, -- "it is a lion's cage, -- They woke him out of slumber, -- I heard him roar and rage." "Nay," -- answered soft-voiced Anna, -- "'t was thunder that you heard, And after that came sunshine and singing of a bird." "Hush, hush, you little children, for all of you are wrong," I said, "my pretty darlings, -- it was no earthly song; A band of blessed angels has left the heavenly choirs, And what you heard last evening were seraph lips and lyres!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...HYMN TO INTELLECTUAL BEAUTY by PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY THE PRELUDE: BOOK 1. CHILDHOOD AND SCHOOL-TIME by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH TO THE VERS LIBRIST WHO USES ONLY THE MINOR KEY by FRANKLIN PIERCE ADAMS THE THREE MUSICIANS by AUBREY BEARDSLEY THE WASHINGTON BICENTENNIAL by CLARA BECK |