Golden hair

The speaker hears someone singing outside at night and becomes so captivated that reading no longer matters. They leave both the book and the room, drawn toward the singer’s voice. The poem moves from quiet attention indoors to an eager, almost enchanted response. Its repeated invitation to lean out of the window gives the ending a circular, lingering feeling, as if the speaker is still waiting for the singer to appear.

The “midnight air” and “gloom” create a dark, uncertain setting, while the song is described as “merry.” This contrast makes the voice seem especially bright and inviting. The fire “dancing” on the floor adds another lively image, and may echo the movement and warmth of the song. “Golden hair” may describe the person at the window, but it also helps present them as a vivid, idealized figure in the speaker’s imagination.

The lyrics do not explain who is singing or whether the speaker actually sees them. The song could be a call from a real person, or a voice that feels almost dreamlike because it reaches the speaker through the darkness. The speaker’s decision to abandon the book suggests a powerful attraction, but the mood is not clearly romantic or troubled. It may simply express the pleasure of being interrupted by something beautiful and unexpected.