An Impromptu – Ii
In this poem, which the foreword says is in celebration and set right after the completion of the great organ for the Boston Music Hall in 1863, the speaker asks three young women about the origin of the beautiful sounds of the new organ. All three girls have different answers, likening the sounds to the wind, a lion, and thunder. The speaker, amused, corrects them and states that such music can only come from a divine source.
Fantasia
In the poem “Fantasia,” subtitled “The Young Girl’s Poem,” a passionate young woman greets every part of the day with great enthusiasm. Each period of the day—morning, noon, and night—makes up one stanza of the poem. In each stanza, the speaker revels in an intimate bond with this time of day and its specific characteristics.
At My Fireside
In this poem, the speaker sits in the evening in a very melancholic mood. In the first stanza, the speaker sets the scene and describes how he is sitting next to his fireplace with his instrument, a lyre, motionless in his hand. He thinks back to his past and his memories appear to overwhelm him with sadness. In the second stanza, the speaker concentrates on the sunset and the last rays of sunshine, which appear to comfort him.
