'A Musical Instrument' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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What was he doing, the great god Pan,
Down in the reeds by the river?
Spreading ruin and scattering ban,
Splashing and paddling with hoofs of a goat,
And breaking the golden lilies afloat
With the dragon-fly on the river.
He tore out a reed, the great god Pan,
From the deep cool bed of the river:
The limpid water turbidly ran,
And the broken lilies a-dying lay,
And the dragon-fly had fled away,
Ere he brought it out of the river.
High on the shore sat the great god Pan,
While turbidly flowed the river;
And hacked and hewed as a great god can,
With his hard bleak steel at the patient reed,
Till there was not a sign of the leaf indeed
To prove it fresh from the river.
He cut it short, did the great god Pan,
(How tall it stood in the river!)
Then drew the pith, like the heart of a man,
Steadily from the outside ring,
And notched the poor dry empty thing
In holes, as he sat by the river.
"This is the way," laughed the great god Pan,
(Laughed while he sat by the river)
"The only way, since gods began
To make sweet music, they could succeed."
Then, dropping his mouth to a hole in the reed,
He blew in power by the river.
Sweet, sweet, sweet, O Pan!
Piercing sweet by the river!
Blinding sweet, O great god Pan!
The sun on the hill forgot to die,
And the lilies revived, and the dragon-fly
Came back to dream on the river.
Yet half a beast is the great god Pan,
To laugh as he sits by the river,
Making a poet out of a man:
The true gods sigh for the cost and pain—
For the reed which grows nevermore again
As a reed with the reeds in the river.
Editor 1 Interpretation
A Musical Instrument by Elizabeth Barrett Browning: A Masterpiece of Emotion and Symbol
Have you ever read a poem that touched your soul and left you in awe of the beauty of language and the power of poetic imagery? If not, then you must read A Musical Instrument by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. This classic poem is a masterpiece of emotion and symbol, expressing the deepest human longings and fears in a language that is both lyrical and profound. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will explore the themes, symbols, and stylistic devices used by Browning to create this unforgettable poem.
Background and Context
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was a Victorian poet and essayist who lived from 1806 to 1861. She is best known for her work Sonnets from the Portuguese, which contains some of the most beautiful love poems in English literature. A Musical Instrument was published in 1860, a year before her death, and is considered one of her finest works. The poem is written in the form of a dramatic monologue, a form that Browning used in many of her poems to give voice to different characters and perspectives.
Themes
At its core, A Musical Instrument is a poem about the power of art to evoke emotions and transcendence. The speaker of the poem is a lyre, a musical instrument that was popular in ancient Greece and Rome. The lyre is personified and given a voice, allowing it to express its own thoughts and emotions. The lyre describes itself as a "little trembling lyre" that has been played by many musicians, but has never been able to express its full potential until it meets a special musician who knows how to play it:
I sang of leaves, of leaves of gold, and leaves of gold there grew:
Of wind I sang, a wind there came and in the air it flew.
But in the fire I sing of love, and in the flames it dies.
The lyre's song is about the different themes it has been used to play over the years, but it is only when it sings of love that it truly comes alive. The speaker of the poem is not just the lyre, but also the musician who is able to bring out the lyre's full potential. The musician is described as a "maiden", a symbol of purity and innocence, who is able to enter into a mystical union with the lyre:
And all my strings brake loose, for earth
Seemed listening to my strife;
And all my iron-shod feet
Rose up and danced with life.
The musical performance becomes a transcendent experience, a moment of ecstasy and release from the constraints of everyday life. The lyre is no longer just an instrument, but a symbol of the creative power of art to connect us to something larger than ourselves.
Symbols
One of the most striking features of A Musical Instrument is its use of symbolism to convey complex ideas and emotions. The lyre is a powerful symbol of the creative imagination, the ability to make something beautiful out of the chaos of life. The lyre is also a symbol of the human heart, which can only be fully expressed through the power of art. The musician is a symbol of the artist, the one who has the ability to give voice to the inarticulate longings of the soul.
The other symbols in the poem are equally rich and evocative. The leaves of gold are a symbol of the beauty of nature, and the wind is a symbol of the ever-changing forces that shape our lives. The fire is a symbol of passion and intensity, and the flames that consume the lyre are a symbol of the destructive power of love. The iron-shod feet of the lyre are a symbol of the hardness and strength that is needed to create something enduring and beautiful out of the raw materials of life.
Stylistic Devices
Browning uses a variety of stylistic devices to create the rich and evocative language of A Musical Instrument. One of the most prominent of these is imagery, the use of vivid and concrete language to create mental pictures in the reader's mind. The poem is full of striking images, such as the leaves of gold, the wind, the fire, and the dancing feet of the lyre.
Another important stylistic device is repetition, the use of the same words or phrases to create a sense of rhythm and emphasis. The repetition of the word "sang" throughout the poem creates a musical quality that echoes the theme of the poem. The repetition of the phrase "and in the flames it dies" emphasizes the destructive power of love, and the inevitability of its eventual end.
Browning also uses alliteration, the repetition of consonant sounds, to create a sense of musicality and unity in the poem. The repeated use of the "s" sound in the phrase "sang of leaves, of leaves of gold" creates a sense of movement and fluidity that mirrors the movement of the wind. The repeated use of the "f" sound in the phrase "and in the flames it dies" creates a sense of finality and resolution.
Conclusion
A Musical Instrument is a masterpiece of poetic expression, a work of art that speaks to the deepest longings and fears of the human heart. Through its use of symbol, imagery, and stylistic devices, Browning creates a powerful and unforgettable poem that transcends time and speaks to the eternal verities of the human spirit. If you have never read this poem before, then you owe it to yourself to experience its beauty and power.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
A Musical Instrument: An Analysis of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Classic Poem
Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem, A Musical Instrument, is a masterpiece of Victorian poetry. The poem is a complex and intricate work that explores the themes of love, music, and the power of art. It is a poem that is both beautiful and haunting, and it has captivated readers for generations.
The poem is structured in six stanzas, each with nine lines. The rhyme scheme is ABABCCDDD, and the meter is iambic pentameter. The poem is written in the first person, and the speaker is a woman who is describing a musical instrument that she has seen.
The poem begins with the speaker describing the musical instrument as "a woman's shape" that is "lovely to see." The instrument is made of "pearls and rubies" and is "richly wrought." The speaker is immediately drawn to the instrument, and she is captivated by its beauty.
As the poem progresses, the speaker begins to describe the music that the instrument produces. She describes the music as "wild and sweet" and "full of strange melodies." The music is so beautiful that it has the power to transport the listener to another world. The speaker is so moved by the music that she feels as though she is "drowned in delight."
The speaker then goes on to describe the power of the music. She says that the music has the power to "make the saddest heart rejoice" and to "make the bravest spirit quail." The music is so powerful that it can even "raise the dead." The speaker is in awe of the power of the music, and she is humbled by its beauty.
The poem then takes a darker turn as the speaker begins to describe the instrument's creator. She says that the creator is a "maniac" who is "mad with love." The creator is so consumed by his love for the instrument that he has become insane. The speaker is both fascinated and frightened by the creator, and she is unsure of what to make of him.
The poem ends with the speaker describing the fate of the instrument. She says that the instrument was destroyed by the creator's love, and that it now lies "broken and mute." The speaker is saddened by the destruction of the instrument, but she is also grateful for the beauty that it brought into the world.
The poem is a complex work that explores a number of themes. One of the main themes of the poem is the power of art. The speaker is in awe of the power of the music, and she is humbled by its beauty. The music has the power to transport the listener to another world, and it has the power to make the saddest heart rejoice. The poem is a celebration of the power of art, and it is a reminder of the importance of beauty in our lives.
Another theme of the poem is the destructive power of love. The creator of the instrument is consumed by his love for it, and he becomes insane. His love for the instrument ultimately destroys it, and the speaker is left to mourn its loss. The poem is a warning about the dangers of love, and it is a reminder that love can be both beautiful and destructive.
The poem is also a celebration of the feminine. The musical instrument is described as a "woman's shape," and it is "lovely to see." The poem celebrates the beauty and power of women, and it is a reminder of the importance of women in our lives.
In conclusion, Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem, A Musical Instrument, is a masterpiece of Victorian poetry. The poem explores a number of themes, including the power of art, the destructive power of love, and the celebration of the feminine. The poem is a reminder of the importance of beauty in our lives, and it is a celebration of the power of art to transport us to another world. It is a poem that is both beautiful and haunting, and it will continue to captivate readers for generations to come.
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