WHEN Orpheus went down to the regions below, Which men are forbidden to see, He tun'd up his lyre, as old histories shew, To set his Eurydice free. All hell was astonished a person so wise Should rashly endanger his life, And venture so far; but how vast their surprise, When they heard that he came for his wife. To find out a punishment due to the fault Old Pluto long puzzled his brain; But hell had not torments sufficient he thought, So he gave him his wife back again. But pity succeeding soon vanquished his heart; And, pleased with his playing so well, He took her again in reward of his art, Such power has music in hell. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...EMERSON by MARY ELIZABETH MAPES DODGE THE CHILD'S FIRST GRIEF by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS THE PESSIMIST by BENJAMIN FRANKLIN KING THE MILL by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON SPRING, 1916 by ISAAC ROSENBERG OUR LEFT' by FRANCIS ORRERY TICKNOR COMPOSED BY THE SEA-SIDE NEAR CALAIS [AUGUST 1802] by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH |