CHORUS OF REEDS. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This short poem reimagines the Greek myth of Syrinx, a nymph who escaped from the god Pan and was turned into reeds, which Pan then crafted into his well-known pipes.
The poem
Evermore a sound shall be In the reeds of Arcady, Evermore a low lament Of unrest and discontent, As the story is retold Of the nymph so coy and cold, Who with frightened feet outran The pursuing steps of Pan.
This short poem reimagines the Greek myth of Syrinx, a nymph who escaped from the god Pan and was turned into reeds, which Pan then crafted into his well-known pipes. Longfellow suggests that the sound produced by those reeds — that soft, haunting music — represents the nymph's eternal sigh of yearning and restlessness. It's a poem about how a tale of fear and escape becomes forever trapped within something beautiful.
Line-by-line
Evermore a sound shall be / In the reeds of Arcady,
Evermore a low lament / Of unrest and discontent,
As the story is retold / Of the nymph so coy and cold,
Who with frightened feet outran / The pursuing steps of Pan.
Tone & mood
The tone feels mournful and quiet—like someone sharing a sorrowful tale in a whisper. There's an air of inevitability: the word "evermore" shows up twice in just eight lines, lending the poem a fatalistic, almost ritualistic quality. Longfellow maintains a distance, acting as a narrator rather than a participant in the grief. Yet, it's clear that the sympathy is directed toward Syrinx rather than Pan.
Symbols & metaphors
- The reeds — The reeds of Arcady are the most potent image in the poem. They symbolize transformation — a living being becoming a plant — and illustrate how trauma or sorrow can be captured in something that endures beyond the original event. Each time the wind rustles through them, the grief resurfaces.
- The sound / lament — The soft, sorrowful sound is Syrinx's voice, captured in the reeds. It represents a grief that remains unspoken, and it reflects how tales of suffering resonate through time, lingering even after those who lived them are no longer here.
- Pan's pursuit — Pan embodies unrestrained desire and the overwhelming force of nature asserting itself on those who resist. His relentless pursuit ignites the tragedy, and the poem presents the entire narrative from the viewpoint of the hunted, rather than the hunter.
- Arcady — Arcadia (Arcady) represents the classic image of a perfect pastoral world—innocent, natural, and beautiful. By setting this tale of fear and escape in such a place, Longfellow subtly challenges the notion of an idyllic pastoral life: even paradise has its darker moments.
Historical context
Longfellow wrote during the American Romantic period, a time when classical mythology was a cherished source for poetry. The myth of Syrinx originates from Ovid's *Metamorphoses* (Book 1): the nymph Syrinx, escaping from Pan, reached the river Ladon and prayed for transformation. The river nymphs turned her into hollow reeds, and when Pan seized what he thought was her, all he heard was the wind rustling through them. He cut the reeds and tied them together to create the panpipes, known as *syrinx* in Greek. Longfellow's poem reflects on that myth in a lyrical way rather than simply retelling it — he delves into the emotional aftermath, focusing on the enduring sorrow instead of the story's progression. The poem's concise nature suggests it might have been crafted as a special piece or for an album, a style Longfellow often embraced throughout his career.
FAQ
It's inspired by the myth of Syrinx found in Ovid's *Metamorphoses*. Syrinx was a nymph who escaped the god Pan. When she arrived at the river Ladon, she was turned into hollow reeds. Pan then cut these reeds to create his well-known pipes, which is why panpipes are referred to as a *syrinx* in Greek.
Because in the myth, the reeds are made from a nymph who was scared and unwilling. The music Pan plays on his pipes represents Syrinx's voice — capturing her sorrow and unrest in the instrument. Longfellow portrays the sound of the wind through the reeds as that grief echoing endlessly.
Arcady is a lyrical name referring to Arcadia, a mountainous area in ancient Greece that came to symbolize an ideal pastoral world—one that is peaceful, natural, and innocent. Poets often used it as a quick reference to a paradise-like place. Longfellow weaves this dark myth into that paradise, which deepens the poem's sense of melancholy.
"Coy" in this context refers to being shy or hesitant, while "cold" indicates a lack of emotional responsiveness to Pan's advances. Longfellow portrays Syrinx's character as depicted in the myth — she had no desire to engage with Pan. The portrayal is sympathetic: she wasn't unkind, just uninterested, and she suffered greatly because of it.
The poem consists of eight lines written in rhyming couplets and follows a trochaic tetrameter. This creates a lively, song-like rhythm that Longfellow often employs in his shorter works. The steady, melodic beat suits the poem's themes of music and reeds. Its rhyme scheme is AABBCCDD.
"Evermore" signifies eternity, always, without end. Longfellow emphasizes it twice in the first four lines to stress that this lament isn't fleeting — it's a lasting aspect of the world. This repetition imbues the poem with a rhythmic, almost magical quality, suggesting that the myth itself is something that continuously recurs.
To Syrinx, the situation is evident. Pan appears merely as a pursuer, his "steps" in pursuit of her; she expresses the emotional tone — "frightened feet," "coy and cold." The sorrow conveyed in the poem is hers alone, not his. Longfellow presents the entire myth through the eyes of the one who was transformed without her consent.
That sorrow can find its way into beautiful things. The reeds create music, yet that music carries a lament — beauty and grief are intertwined. Longfellow is suggesting that myths persist because they hold genuine emotional truths: the tale of Syrinx continues to be shared because fear, flight, and loss are experiences that resonate with everyone.