I am glad that you enjoyed "Severed and Gone". Anne Brontë’s poetry does have a way of reaching right to the core of experience. "The Parting" is another of her deeply affecting works, and I have created six different musical arrangements of that poem. I hope you will find them interesting.
The poem crafts a vivid image that is both tranquil and striking, leveraging the simplicity of its wording to great effect. Moreover, the musical accompaniment brilliantly captures the essence of the poem.
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"It was the simplicity of the lyrics which made it quite a challenge to create a musical arrangement ..." — Richard
It was the simplicity of the lyrics which made it quite a challenge to create a musical arrangement that would do justice to Milne’s poem. I chose instruments like the koto and shakuhachi because their calm, reflective tones seemed to echo the peacefulness of the poem’s setting. I hoped also to connect the classic feel of the poem with something more contemporary, hoping to highlight how timeless Milne’s imagery can be. My aim, as ever, was to let the music support the poem’s mood rather than overshadow it. I’m glad you felt the arrangements captured the essence of the poem.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. It's great that you felt the performances reflected the urgency and strength in Shakespeare's words. That sense of timing and momentum is central to the words of Brutus. Do you find that this passage resonates with moments in your own life, where seizing the right opportunity made all the difference? If you have any favorite Shakesperean lines that you think would lend themselves well to a musical arrangement, I would be interested to hear your suggestions.
"This was just amazing! Could you please set 'Frances' by Charlotte Brontë to music as well? I love that poem and the themes it explores. I'd like it to be beautifully rendered, capturing the essence of the original writing. I'm eagerly anticipating it!"
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"Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm for Charlotte Brontë’s poetry. I’m glad you enjoyed the musica..." — Richard
Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm for Charlotte Brontë’s poetry. I’m glad you enjoyed the musical setting of "The Letter" and appreciate your suggestion to set "Frances" to music as well. Unfortunately, "Frances" is quite a long poem—at around 8665 characters, it exceeds the technical limits of my current arrangement tools. This means I’m unable to produce a full musical version of it at the moment. If the technology improves or I find a way to adapt or excerpt the poem while staying true to its spirit, I’ll certainly revisit the idea. If there are other poems by Brontë or from the same era that you’d like to hear set to music, especially shorter works, I’d be interested to know your preferences. I always enjoy exchanging ideas about classic poetry and exploring new creative possibilities.
"Wow! The music was so ethereal. I loved the longing feel of this poem. This music makes me feel sober, and my own longing finds a temporary reprieve until it's ready to take flight again. I'd like you to set two more of her poems to music: 1) 'Against the sun...' and 2) 'Song' ('A few more windy days...')."
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"Thank you. I appreciate hearing that you found a sense of reprieve in the arrangement. Helen Dudley’..." — Richard
Thank you. I appreciate hearing that you found a sense of reprieve in the arrangement. Helen Dudley’s poetry certainly invites that kind of longing and reflection, and it is rewarding to know the musical setting supported that feeling for you. Your suggestions for setting "Against the sun..." and "Song" ("A few more windy days...") have been added to my to-do list. As ever, I'm always interested in visitor's ideas and will look into these pieces and consider how best to approach them musically. If you have any particular ideas or preferences for the style or mood, feel free to let me know
"I adore how beautifully the music and poem speak to one's heart. I'd love to see more poems by Anne Brontë set to music. As the lesser-known sister among the Brontë trio, Anne's work is equally sweet and passionate. Could you set these five poems by Anne Brontë to music: 1) 'Weep not too much, my darling', 2) 'Student's Serenade', 3) 'Severed and gone', 4) 'Verses To A Child', and 5) 'The Parting'?"
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"Thank you. I agree that Anne Brontë’s work deserves more attention, both for its emotional depth and..." — Richard
Thank you. I agree that Anne Brontë’s work deserves more attention, both for its emotional depth and its unique voice among the Brontë sisters. Your list includes some of her most touching and evocative pieces. I am always interested in exploring new settings for Anne Brontë’s poetry, and your selections are inspiring. It's encouraging to know that there are others who value Anne’s gentle yet passionate style. If you have any particular thoughts on how you imagine these poems set to music, or if there are other poets you would like to see featured, feel free to share your ideas. I enjoy the exchange of perspectives and look forward to bringing more of Anne Brontë’s poetry to life through music.
"I love how beautifully this light music captured the essence of the poem. I adore how Sara Teasdale, in such simple and direct words, captures strong and complex emotions. Her poems on love and longing are marvelous. I'd like you to set as many poems as possible from her "Love Songs" collection to music. One poem that I'd particularly like to see set to music is "Erinna" from her collection "Helen of Troy and Other Poems"."
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"Thank you for highlighting what you appreciate about Sara Teasdale’s poetry. I agree that her abilit..." — Richard
Thank you for highlighting what you appreciate about Sara Teasdale’s poetry. I agree that her ability to convey deep and complex emotions with such clarity is remarkable, and it is a quality that makes setting her work to music especially rewarding.
I appreciate your suggestion regarding the "Love Songs" collection. In fact, I have today added a large body of Teasdale’s poems to V2Melody in preparation for future musical settings. Your request for "Erinna" is welcome and I have created three different musical arrangements of that poem which I trust you will enjoy.
If there are other specific poems from Teasdale or other poets you would like to see set to music, please feel free to mention them.
"While reading and listening to this poem, I felt so light, like a cloud myself; my spirit took wings, and I drifted to glorier skies and planets of my being. I felt all the transitions from sorrow to joy till a final reunion with God. Splendid work!"
Please do all the poems by khalil gibran. His poems are so spiritual and filled with ecstasy!
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"Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful response to Gibran's "A Tear and a Smile." I appreciate how ..." — Richard
Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful response to Gibran's "A Tear and a Smile." I appreciate how you described the experience of reading and listening to the poem as feeling light and uplifted, moving through sorrow and joy toward a sense of reunion with the divine. Gibran certainly has a unique way of expressing the interplay of these emotions, and your words capture that journey well.
Your suggestion to arrange more of Khalil Gibran's poems is a good one. His work does have a spiritual depth and intensity that lends itself to musical and artistic interpretation. I am considering adding more of his poems to the site in the future, as his themes resonate with many people seeking meaning and beauty in poetry.
If you have any particular favorites among Gibran's poems, feel free to mention them. I am always interested in hearing which pieces inspire others, and it helps me decide what to work on next. Thank you again for taking the time to comment and for engaging so thoughtfully with the music and poetry.
"Wow! What a terrific performance! I trembled on listening track 1. Can you do Greek Parting Song by Felicia Hemans as well? I'd like to listen to it in a similar fashion. In fact there are many hemans poems that I would like to listen to with all their emotional intensity shining forth in musical settings. For now, I'd like the Greek Parting Song to be set to dramatic and melancholic music."
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"Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I am glad that you found that arrangement moving. Your sugges..." — Richard
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I am glad that you found that arrangement moving. Your suggestion to set Felicia Hemans’ Greek Parting Song to music was inspiring. I have taken your idea on board and recently completed three musical arrangements as you requested. These new versions feature atmospheric trip-hop with downtempo beats which work well with the poem's lyrics. I hope you enjoy them. Your ideas help shape the direction of the V2Melody project, so feel free to share any further suggestions.
Please do more poems by Felicia Hemans. Her poems are so beautifully emotional. I like her more dramatic works. Can you do "Gertrude, or, fidelity till death" ( from records of the woman). It would be fantastic for a dramatic and emotionally rife musical setting.
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"I'm delighted you enjoyed the performances. Felicia Hemans truly is a remarkable poet. Her dramatic ..." — Richard
I'm delighted you enjoyed the performances. Felicia Hemans truly is a remarkable poet. Her dramatic works offer such vivid storytelling and emotional resonance, making them especially rewarding to set to music.
Your suggestion of "Gertrude, or, Fidelity till Death" from Records of Woman is inspired; it's a piece with profound emotional depth and narrative power, which I found translated beautifully into music. In fact, I had such fun with it, that I created five musical interpretations of "Gertrude", and I hope you find that each brings out a different facet of the poem’s intensity. It was a pleasure to work with such a powerful poem. If you have other favorites among her works that you think might lend themselves to musical interpretation, I’d love to hear your recommendations. Your insights are always appreciated.
The fatal hour at the top of the hill is an inevitable encounter in life. Everything would fall still, and in that stillness, we would realize that we are leaving behind a greater void than the one we are about to enter.
Also, I want to take your attention to another Mary Robinson (1757-1800). She also wrote beautifully. Her lyrical tales would do good for a musical setting.
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"Thank you for your thoughtful reflection on the poem and performance. Your observation about the "fa..." — Richard
Thank you for your thoughtful reflection on the poem and performance. Your observation about the "fatal hour" being an inevitable encounter resonates deeply: that moment of stillness you describe, where we confront what we leave behind versus what awaits us, captures something profound about human experience.
I appreciate you bringing up Mary Robinson (1757-1800). Her work is indeed remarkable, and you're right that her lyrical quality would translate beautifully to musical settings. I actually have two of her poems set to music: "January, 1795" and "London's Summer Morning." Both pieces showcase exactly what you're describing about her lyrical tales being well-suited for musical treatment. "January, 1795" has that introspective, melancholic quality that translates so well to song, while "London's Summer Morning" offers vivid imagery that creates wonderful opportunities for musical painting.
Have you explored much of her other work? I'm curious which of her poems particularly appeal to you, especially considering your insight about their musical potential.
I appreciate you listening and offering your feedback. Opie's verse reveals such a devastating emotional journey, from that opening vision of universal blight where even the skylark's song turns mournful, to the crushing realization that "nought on earth is chang'd—but me." The way the speaker's inner desolation transforms their entire perception of the world, projecting that heart-blight onto nature itself, creates such profound pathos. My goal was to mirror this progression in the composition, trying to capture both the apparent bleakness of a changed world and the more intimate tragedy of a soul that has "transferr'd" its grief to everything it perceives.
Thank you for your comments. I am glad to hear that the music resonated with you. It is always interesting to see how a musical setting can transport us beyond the words themselves, especially with poetry as evocative as Opie’s.
"This performance just blew me away. I have always loved Felicia Hemans. It's the work of a singer to give soul to the poem. The poem comes with wings; it waits for its righteous singer, and then it flies and makes a home in its needed owner's heart. So, three people are involved in the creative process of the poem: the poet who writes with a heart, the singer who sings with a soul, and the reader who reads and listens with a mind and a heart attentive to both."
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"Thank you for sharing your perspective, Sarakhatun. I appreciate how you describe the journey of a p..." — Richard
Thank you for sharing your perspective, Sarakhatun. I appreciate how you describe the journey of a poem from the writer’s heart, through the performer’s interpretation, and finally to the attentive listener. Felicia Hemans certainly gives us plenty to work with in terms of both emotion and imagery. I agree that a poem like this only truly comes alive when it finds the right voice and an open ear. I’m curious, are there other Hemans poems, or works by similar poets, that you think would benefit from a musical setting? I’m always interested in exploring new possibilities for arrangement and interpretation.
I couldn't put into words my love for this poem and for all three ethereal tracks. When I first listened to them, I felt entranced. I thought they couldn't be performed any better than they already are - they're just perfect. The longing in the poem is also beautifully reflected in the melancholic voices of the songstresses who sang them with such depth of feeling. My heart finally found an outlet for its emotions in listening to these tracks, and I cried a little when I first heard them two months ago. This website is like a dream come true. Can I ask you for also playing in tune some of the poems of amelia opie(1769-1853).She also wrote beautifully on love with nature imagery. Her poems like "lines to Henry" etc.
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"Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts about the poem and the tracks. I appreciate hea..." — Richard
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts about the poem and the tracks. I appreciate hearing how the music and performances affected you, and I am glad that the arrangements resonated with you in such a personal way. Your suggestion to include poems by Amelia Opie is a good one. I have now added 85 poems from Opie's collection to V2Melody and I have set Stanzas of Sorrowto music with two different adaptations. You can find these, along with the rest of the Opie poems, on the Amelia Opie page. If you have other poets or specific poems in mind, feel free to mention them. I am always interested in exploring new material and exchanging ideas.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! I couldn’t agree more; humor really is a lifeboat in life’s stormy seas. I’m thrilled you enjoyed my take on Edgar A. Guest’s wonderful poem. Your words are truly encouraging and make the creative journey all the more rewarding. Thanks again for listening and sharing your reflections!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m delighted that you enjoyed both tracks and that the whimsical, quizzical spirit of the poem came through for you. It’s always a pleasure to know the music connects and brings the poetry to life. Your feedback truly means a lot and inspires me to keep experimenting with new arrangements. Thanks again for listening and sharing your thoughts!
Recent Comments
Severed and Gone
It was so heart-touching!
Please do "The Parting " by Anne bronte as well.
The Mirror
The poem crafts a vivid image that is both tranquil and striking, leveraging the simplicity of its wording to great effect. Moreover, the musical accompaniment brilliantly captures the essence of the poem.
There is a tide in the affairs of men
Superb performances!!!
They captures the urgency alongwith the force and power of the poem!
The Letter
"This was just amazing! Could you please set 'Frances' by Charlotte Brontë to music as well? I love that poem and the themes it explores. I'd like it to be beautifully rendered, capturing the essence of the original writing. I'm eagerly anticipating it!"
To One Unknown
"Wow! The music was so ethereal. I loved the longing feel of this poem. This music makes me feel sober, and my own longing finds a temporary reprieve until it's ready to take flight again. I'd like you to set two more of her poems to music: 1) 'Against the sun...' and 2) 'Song' ('A few more windy days...')."
If This Be All
"I adore how beautifully the music and poem speak to one's heart. I'd love to see more poems by Anne Brontë set to music. As the lesser-known sister among the Brontë trio, Anne's work is equally sweet and passionate. Could you set these five poems by Anne Brontë to music: 1) 'Weep not too much, my darling', 2) 'Student's Serenade', 3) 'Severed and gone', 4) 'Verses To A Child', and 5) 'The Parting'?"
Alone
"I love how beautifully this light music captured the essence of the poem. I adore how Sara Teasdale, in such simple and direct words, captures strong and complex emotions. Her poems on love and longing are marvelous. I'd like you to set as many poems as possible from her "Love Songs" collection to music. One poem that I'd particularly like to see set to music is "Erinna" from her collection "Helen of Troy and Other Poems"."
A Tear and a Smile
"While reading and listening to this poem, I felt so light, like a cloud myself; my spirit took wings, and I drifted to glorier skies and planets of my being. I felt all the transitions from sorrow to joy till a final reunion with God. Splendid work!"
Please do all the poems by khalil gibran. His poems are so spiritual and filled with ecstasy!
Gertrude; Or, Fidelity Till Death
"Wow! What a terrific performance! I trembled on listening track 1. Can you do Greek Parting Song by Felicia Hemans as well? I'd like to listen to it in a similar fashion. In fact there are many hemans poems that I would like to listen to with all their emotional intensity shining forth in musical settings. For now, I'd like the Greek Parting Song to be set to dramatic and melancholic music."
Casabianca
Superb performances!
Please do more poems by Felicia Hemans. Her poems are so beautifully emotional. I like her more dramatic works. Can you do "Gertrude, or, fidelity till death" ( from records of the woman). It would be fantastic for a dramatic and emotionally rife musical setting.
The Road Leading Nowhere
What a brilliant performance to a brilliant poem!
The fatal hour at the top of the hill is an inevitable encounter in life. Everything would fall still, and in that stillness, we would realize that we are leaving behind a greater void than the one we are about to enter.
Also, I want to take your attention to another Mary Robinson (1757-1800). She also wrote beautifully. Her lyrical tales would do good for a musical setting.
Stanzas of Sorrow
The music is sweetly melancholic!
Alas! Alas! I Can't Forget
Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful.
"The music transported me to another land with its classical charm and aura. What a lovely performance!"
The Haunted House
"This performance just blew me away. I have always loved Felicia Hemans. It's the work of a singer to give soul to the poem. The poem comes with wings; it waits for its righteous singer, and then it flies and makes a home in its needed owner's heart. So, three people are involved in the creative process of the poem: the poet who writes with a heart, the singer who sings with a soul, and the reader who reads and listens with a mind and a heart attentive to both."
A Dead Girl To Her Lover
I couldn't put into words my love for this poem and for all three ethereal tracks. When I first listened to them, I felt entranced. I thought they couldn't be performed any better than they already are - they're just perfect. The longing in the poem is also beautifully reflected in the melancholic voices of the songstresses who sang them with such depth of feeling. My heart finally found an outlet for its emotions in listening to these tracks, and I cried a little when I first heard them two months ago. This website is like a dream come true. Can I ask you for also playing in tune some of the poems of amelia opie(1769-1853).She also wrote beautifully on love with nature imagery. Her poems like "lines to Henry" etc.
A Sense of Humor
Sense of humor indeed will keep us floating through this turbulent sea of life. What a magnificent performance to a powerful poem!
Wind on the Hill
Very beautiful! The track 2 successfully captures the whimsical and quizzical nature of the poem. Track 1 is amazing too!