THROUGH the forest the boy wends all day long: For there he has heard such a wonderful song. He carved him a flute of the willow-tree, And tried what the tune within it might be. The tune came out of it sad and gay; But while he listen'd it pass' away. He fell asleep, and once more it sung, And over his forehead it lovingly hung. He thought he would catch it, and wildly woke; And the tune in the pale night faded and broke. "O God! my God! take me up to Thee! For the tune Thou hast made is consuming me." And the Lord God said: 'Tis a friend divine, Though never one hour shalt thou hold it thine. Yet all other music is poor and thin By the side of this which thou never shalt win!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...NOW AND AFTERWARDS by DINAH MARIA MULOCK CRAIK AS KINGFISHERS CATCH FIRE by GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS SANDALPHON by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW THE RAGGED WOOD by WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS THE DROWNED HIDALGO DREAMS by WILLIAM ROSE BENET THE HOLLYHOCKS by CRAVEN LANGSTROTH BETTS EPISTLE TO HER FRIENDS AT GARTMORE by SUSANNA BLAMIRE SONNETS WRITTEN IN AN IRISH PRISON: HER NAME LIBERTY by WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT |