▁and ▁ 1 9 0 7 ) ▁and ▁On ▁W en lock ▁Edge . ▁To ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁the ▁human ▁voice ▁was ▁" the ▁oldest ▁and ▁greatest ▁of ▁musical ▁instruments ". ▁He ▁described ▁his ▁early ▁songs ▁as ▁" more ▁or ▁less ▁simple ▁and ▁popular ▁in ▁character ", ▁and ▁the ▁music ologist ▁Soph ie ▁Full er ▁describes ▁this ▁simplicity ▁and ▁popular ity ▁as ▁consistent ▁throughout ▁his ▁career . ▁Many ▁compos ers ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁and ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁centuries ▁wrote ▁sentiment al ▁works ▁for ▁female ▁voice ; ▁by ▁contrast , ▁songs ▁by ▁V aug han ▁Williams , ▁such ▁as ▁" The ▁V ag ab ond " ▁from ▁Songs ▁of ▁Tra vel , ▁to ▁words ▁by ▁Robert ▁Louis ▁Stevens on , ▁are ▁" a ▁particularly ▁mascul ine ▁breath ▁of ▁fresh ▁air " ▁( Full er ), ▁" vi rile ▁open - air ▁vers es " ▁( K enn edy ). ▁Some ▁of ▁V aug han ▁Williams ' s ▁later ▁songs ▁are ▁less ▁well ▁known ; ▁Full er ▁singles ▁out ▁the ▁cycle ▁Three ▁Po ems ▁by ▁W alt ▁Whit man , ▁a ▁largely ▁dark ▁work , ▁as ▁too ▁often ▁over look ed ▁by ▁sing ers ▁and ▁critics . ▁For ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁songs ▁the ▁composer ▁exp ands ▁the ▁accompan iment ▁to ▁include ▁two ▁or ▁more ▁string ▁instruments ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁piano ; ▁they ▁include ▁On ▁W en lock ▁Edge , ▁and ▁the ▁Ch au cer ▁cycle ▁Mer cil ess ▁Beaut y ▁( 1 9 2 1 ), ▁jud