No man had ever heard a nightingale...

No man had ever heard a nightingale,

When once a keen-eyed naturalist was stirred

To study and define — what is a bird,

To classify by rote and book, nor fail

To mark its structure and to note the scale

Whereon its song might possibly be heard.

Thus far, no farther;— so he spake the word.

When of a sudden,— hark, the nightingale!

Oh deeper, higher than he could divine

That all-unearthly, untaught strain! He saw

The plain, brown warbler, unabashed. “Not mine”

( He cried ) “the error of this fatal flaw.

No bird is this, it soars beyond my line,

Were it a bird,‘ t would answer to my law.”