LOVE held a harp between his hands, and, lo! The master hand, upon the harp-strings laid By way of prelude, such a sweet tune play'd As made the heart with happy tears o'erflow; Then sad and wild did that strange music grow, And, -- like the wail of woods by storm gusts sway'd, While yet the awful thunder's wrath is stay'd, And earth lies faint beneath the coming blow, -- Still wilder wax'd the tune; until at length The strong strings, strain'd by sudden stress and sharp Of that musician's hand intolerable, And jarr'd by sweep of unrelenting strength, Sunder'd, and all the broken music fell. Such was Love's music, -- lo, the shatter'd harp! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: BARNEY HAINSFEATHER by EDGAR LEE MASTERS THE ROSE AND THORN by PAUL HAMILTON HAYNE A BALLAD OF THE FRENCH FLEET; OCTOBER, 1746 by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW THE LAKE (VERSION 2) by EDGAR ALLAN POE THE STRANGER'S ALMS by HENRY ABBEY |