Author: Oliver Wendell Holmes

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    In the little southern parlor of the house you may have seen
    With the gambrel-roof, and the gable looking westward to the green,
    At the side toward the sunset, with the window on its right,
    Stood the London-made piano I am dreaming of to-night!

    Ah me I how I remember the evening when it came!
    What a cry of eager voices, what a group of cheeks in flame,
    When the wondrous box was opened that had come from over seas,
    With its smell of mastic-varnish and its flash of ivory keys!

    Then the children all grew fretful in the restlessness of joy,
    For the boy would push his sister, and the sister crowd the boy,
    Till the father asked for quiet in his grave paternal way,
    But the mother hushed the tumult with the words, "Now, Mary, play."

    For the dear soul knew that music was a very sovereign balm;
    She had sprinkled it over Sorrow and seen its brow grow calm,
    In the days of slender harpsichords with tapping tinkling quills,
    Or carolling to her spinet with its thin metallic thrills.

    So Mary, the household minstrel, who always loved to please,
    Sat down to the new "Clementi," and struck the glittering keys.
    Hushed were the children's voices, and every eye grew dim,
    As, floating from lip and finger, arose the "Vesper Hymn."

    Catharine, child of a neighbor, curly and rosy-red,
    (Wedded since, and a widow, - something like ten years dead,)
    Hearing a gush of music such as none before,
    Steals from her mother's chamber and peeps at the open door.

    Just as the "Jubilate" in threaded whisper dies,
    "Open it! open it, lady!" the little maiden cries,
    (For she thought 't was a singing creature caged in a box she heard,)
    "Open it! open it, lady! and let me see the bird!"

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Type of Poem: Narrative Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem beautifully weaves together themes of nostalgia, familial love, and the transformative power of music. The setting, a quaint southern parlor in a house with a gambrel-roof, is described with a sense of warmth and familiarity, lending an intimate, homey tone to the piece. The arrival of a London-made piano stirs excitement in the household, as seen in the vivid descriptions of eager voices and "cheeks in flame".

The poem's structure is traditional, bearing a consistent rhyme scheme that adds to its charming, nostalgic tone. The use of dialogue adds a layer of dynamism and liveliness to the poem, making the characters and their interactions feel real and relatable. The personification of music as a "sovereign balm" is a standout literary device, highlighting its therapeutic and unifying power.

The poem also juxtaposes the old and the new - the "days of slender harpsichords" versus the new piano, symbolizing a departure from the old ways and embracing the progress. The ending, with a child mistaking the piano's music for a caged bird, is particularly poignant and underlines the theme of innocent wonder and the beguiling nature of music. In sum, this is a touching, beautifully crafted poem that uses potent imagery, personification, and a sense of nostalgia to convey the joy and unity that music can bring to a household.