POETRY.
MUSIC'S ECHO.
IN my ears it grew,
Sounds of joyous laughter, Echo of plunging rivers Flying a rainbow after, And long-breathed notes Of wind through deep caves, With singing of bent pines When the torn west raves, And those long trembling chords Of falling waves ; Of all these it grew Then sighed, as a willow That air and water laves. And a likeness was wrought That cleared as I gazed.
Of Jonathan a look I caught Who died in his spring ; Solomon, his brow so wide, Beard heavy, tawny hands, Solomon in his pride ; And Hector who 'neath Troy- Ev'n Hector—had died ; And Roland who to Echo's Far, fainter horn replied ;
And the Black Prince that Reveille, Reveille I cried ;
And Sidney with grave Honour Stooped at his side ; And Wolfe, lonely and beautiful Yet., as he died ; And Nelson, azure bright, With stars and beams bedight • A music, a brightness, Grew upon the air, Shape plain as mountain's crest, Sound like seamew's clear ; Came it whence ? and passed Whither—and Why ?
Fading, brightening, changing Like a cloud in the sky.
Even as dreams shine When stares a child upon Marvels no elder knows, So splendour shone ; And even so my lids Drooped that I might stay Awhile the shape of first delight Upon the breast of day.
JOHN FR E MAN.
[As the exact intention of Mr. Freeman's poem did not seem to me quite certain, either from content or title, he was asked whether it depicted the series of images called up in the poet's mind by hearing a particular piece of instrumental music. Ho said that this interpretation was the correct one.—The POETRY EDITOR.]
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