The Piano

Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me;

Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see

A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings

And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings.

In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song

Betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong

To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside

And hymns in the cosy parlour, the tinkling piano our guide.

So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour

With the great black piano appassionato. The glamour

Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast

Down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.

   -D.H.Lawrence

Figures of Speech:

Alliteration:

Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing  to me – s

Taking me back down the vista of years, till  I see – t

A   child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings – s

And   pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings. – s

In   spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song – m

Betrays me back, till the heart of   me weeps to belong – b

To   the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside – w

So now it is vain for the singer  to burst into clamour – s

With   the great black piano appassionato. The glamour – g

Of   childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast – m

Allusion:

With   the great black piano appassionato

A particular piece of music   considered by Beethoven to be his most tempestuous piano sonata

Simile:

Down   in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past

Onomatopoeia:

A   child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings

And   hymns in the cosy parlour, the tinkling piano our guide

Rhyme Scheme

aabb – Me, see; strings, sings; song,   belong; outside, guide; clamour, glamour; cast, past;