Critical Analysis Of The Poem We Are The Music Makers ISC Class 11, 12 English Literature
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“We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams; —
World-losers and world-forsakers,”
Moreover, it portrays a glimpse of the Pre-Raphaelite movement where art is valued. The poet underlines the fact that art is eternal and favours the idea of art for life’s sake. In other, words, art is what is left of the world-music and dreams which continue to live. 5.Line by line analysis of the poem
First stanza
We are the music-makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers
And sitting by desolate streams.
The first person plural with which the poem opens, echo to the firm assertion of the artists and their art. The poem does not mention a specific art form which gives the poem universal appeal. Music has the power to transfer an individual from mundane realities to a world full of dreams. The artists have the capability to create a utopia of their own through
their divine art. They are oddly escapists as they remain outside the active world. They find solace in oblivion and wander about the lonely seashores and desolate streams. It is a treatise to the artists across various realms. It uses various euphemisms like “music makers”, “dreamers of dreams” to implore artists and serenade their activities.
World-losers and world-forsakers,
Upon whom the pale moon
gleams:
Yet we are the movers and
the shakers,
Of the world for ever, it
seems.
The artists are considered by the world as losers and forsakers as they remain detached from worldly pursuits. The phrase the ‘movers and shakers’, now a part of our daily language in different contexts, implies that artists are rebels who shake the status quo. There is a sense of despondence in every artist which serves to feed the fire in them and shape their creativity in a creative form. They are referred to by the world as eccentric. They play an active role in bringing about a revolutionary change on this earth
Second stanza
With wonderful deathless
ditties
We build up the world’s
great cities,
And out of a fabulous
story
We fashion an empire’s
glory:
The following lines bring out the power of creativity. Men are mortal but their works transcend the concept of time and space and create a lasting impact on society. They build up great cities in their arts and compose fabulous stories of a Dynasty’s glorious past.
One man with a dream, at
pleasure,
Shall go forth and conquer
a crown;
And three with a new
song’s measure
Can trample an empire
down.
The artists, on one hand, can weave glorious stories of an empire’s glory whereas, on the other hand, it can trample an empire down in another song. Through his writing, a writer can give man the liberty to “dream at pleasure” and to move forward to conquer a crown. If not directly, then indirectly, they are the real leaders of the world.
Stanza three
We, in the ages lying
In the buried past of the
earth,
Built Nineveh with our
sighing,
And Babel itself with our
mirth;
The poet alludes here to the Biblical cities of and Babel suggesting that the notion of art as an almost angelic creation. Nineveh was the flourishing capital of the Assyrian empire, founded by Nimrod which was dilapidated and was never re-built. It had a tragic fall as the people of Nineveh indulged in sinful acts. The tower of Babel was built to reach heaven. It was a symbol of the unity of mankind and also human arrogance to claim equality with God. God punished them by giving different languages and confusing them. So, the tower of Babel was never completed. The poet’s purpose here is to portray the fact that when artists were happy they built Babel and when they were distressed they built a Nineveh. Nineveh and Babel, are symbols of human rise and fall subsequently. Artists can create a myth and also demolish them.
And O’erthrew them with
prophesying
To the old of the new
world’s worth;
For each age is a dream
that is dying,
Or one that is coming to
birth.
The lines bring out the cycle of rebirth in the sense
that when old artists perish, new artists will come with new myths. The sole
perspective of art never dies. Myths and dreams only take new shapes. The
utopia of the old world ‘prophesying’ the new world’s worth. Men are mortal but
their art lives forever and transcend the concept of time and space.
Finally, Edward Elgar states that ‘ The mainspring of
O’Shaughnessy’s Ode is the sense of progress, of never-ceasing change..’
Literary Devices
There are various poetic devices in the poem. Some of them are discussed below:-
1. Assonance– Assonance
refers to the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the sounds of
‘e’ in “And we are the dreams of dreams” and the sound of ‘i’ in “Built Nineveh
with our sighing”
2. Alliteration-It is the close repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the beginning of words.
For example:
With wonderful deathless ditties(w and d sounds)
And sitting by desolate streams(s sounds)
We are the music- makers(m and k sounds)
3. Metaphors-A comparison between two different things is implied, but not clearly stated.
‘music – makers’ for creative artists
‘movers and shakers’ for artists who challenge the status quo.
4. Enjambment– “Yet we are the movers and shakers,
Of the world forever, it seems.”
5. Imagery– It is used to make readers perceive things involving five senses.
·
“Shall go forth and conquer a crown;”
·
“And sitting by the desolate streams”
·
“the pale moon gleams”
Questions And Answers
Who are the Music Makers in the poem?
In the poem ‘We are the Music Makers’ the poet refers to all creative artists as music makers. These creative artists are not merely musicians. They include poets, painters, sculptors and all other artists. The poet calls all of the music makers since they create harmony and sweetness.
What is the theme of the poem we are the music makers?
The transformative power of art, the ability of the artists to cause changes and the timelessness of art are the major concerns in the poem.
What idea does the poem We are the music makers end with?
So, to conclude, the poet not only touches upon the idea of “art for art’s sake” in his poem but also celebrates the impact of art upon society, upon the outside world.
Who are the world losers and world Forsakers in the poem We Are the Music Makers ‘?
The Music Makers are the World-losers and world-forsakers in the poem. ‘World-losers and World-forsakers’:- These phrases are dedicated to such artists, poets, writers and musicians who may not have been very successful in their lives. Nonetheless, their visionary creations led to great social change.
Why is We are the music makers an ode?
We Are The Music Makers is an ode to the ones who dream and create. It is a tribute to artists, poets, writers and musicians who shape the world through their art. It doesn’t limit itself to a particular form of art but includes all the creative and artistic endeavours pursued by humans.
How does the poem We are the music makers express the role of artists in studying up emotions and shaping public opinion?
They move and shake and stir the world by bringing radical changes in society. Their artistic creations rouse up emotions that help them to take the necessary steps. The poem reflects the subversive nature of art in these lines.