To The River

by Edgar Allan Poe
(published 1829)

Fair river! in thy bright, clear flow
    Of crystal, wandering water,
Thou art an emblem of the glow
        Of beauty -- the unhidden heart --
        The playful maziness of art
  In old Alberto's daughter;

But when within thy wave she looks --
        Which glistens then, and trembles --
Why, then, the prettiest of brooks
        Her worshipper resembles;
For in my heart, as in thy stream,
    Her image deeply lies --
The heart which trembles at the beam
    Of her soul-searching eyes.