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WE ARE THE MUSIC MAKERS

Subject: English

WE ARE THE MUSIC MAKERS

This ode by the British poet of Irish descent, Arthur O’Shaughnessy, is one of the
oldest forms of poetry and is a celebratory expression of art. “We are the music
makers” is the first poem from O’Shaughnessy’s collection called “Music and
Moonlight” (1874). Arthur O’Shaughnessy dedicates this poem to the artists- the
writers, the poets, the painters, the people who have lived in a fantasy and build
their own world outside the confined monotony of the real world. It is one of the
most uplifting and hopeful poems about art that has been written as a result of
which it is often quoted in other works of art. The phrase “movers and shakers”
originated in this ode. This poem is made up of three stanzas of eight lines each. The
rhyme scheme for the first stanza is ABABABAB, the rhyme scheme for the second
stanza is AABBCDCD, and the rhyme scheme for the third stanza is the same as that
of the first stanza, i.e., ABABABAB. The predominant tone of the poem is that of
appreciation and celebration of art.

Themes
The underlying theme of the poem is the appreciation of art. The poet encourages
the readers to dream like artists who shape the world through their imaginative
capabilities. 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. It
promotes a feeling of freedom in the sense that it encourages the reader to break
free from the shackles of society. It is only when we are in perfect tune with
ourselves that we can manifest magic. This poem is a celebration of the art and the
artists on every platform. It is an ode of pure appreciation to the gifted artists who
are brave enough to rebel against dull, unimaginative and monotonous existence.
Though artists do not involve themselves in the mainstream society and prefer to
stay aloof, their art still makes them the “movers and shakers” of the society. This
poem clearly identifies the sacrifices these artists have made to prove their loyalty to
art and salutes them for their bravery and creativity. Art is a gift of God to this world
and the artists are the promoter of this gift. Artists are the revolutionaries who have
been inspiring millions for generations. They are the true leaders who lead every
generation and bestow them with the gift of art. They arouse inspiration and the will
to dream and help to escape from the clutches of the society and the bitter reality.

Tone
The tone of the poem is predominantly that of appreciation and celebration. The poet
celebrates the imaginative power of the artists by using which they are able to bring
changes in the society. A song, a poem, a painting or any other work of art can
arouse people’s emotions, awaken their imaginative abilities and inspire them to
rebel against a dull world. Art is not only capable of raising new empires through
fantasies but is also competent in destruction. When everything is in ruins, it is art
that survives. The tone changes from celebratory to that of distress as the poet
highlights the sacrifices made by the artists for survival. They are eternally in search
of a patron. However, the mood swiftly changes to that of elation as the

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 contributions of the artists to the society are appreciated. The artists produce works
that are beneficial for uplifting the society.

Literary Devices
‘Ode’ by Arthur O’Shaughnessy showcases several important literary devices to make
poetic words more appealing and forceful.

Metaphor: In “the dreamers of the dreams,” the poet uses a metaphor for creative
imagination. There are personal metaphors in the phrases “lone sea-breakers” and
“desolate streams.” Besides, there is an important metaphor in the phrase “pale
moon.” It is also a symbol of pessimism.

Antithesis: There is an antithesis in the line, “World-losers and world-forsakers.”

Alliteration: O’Shaughnessy uses alliteration in “music makers,” “deathless ditties,” etc.

Hyperbole: It occurs in the line, “Can trample a kingdom down.”

Epigram: The poet uses an important epigram in the following lines of the poem, “For
each age is a dream that is dying,/ Or one that is coming to birth.” It also sounds a
little paradoxical.

1st Stanza
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,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.

Artists live a lonely life, away from the cacophony of the society. They are often
misunderstood by everyone and termed as “losers and forsakers”. But one must
realize that it is just the inability of the common men to understand and interpret the
immortal works of the artists who are beyond their comprehension. The poet
highlights the dependency of the artists on a patron or on the inheritance of a good
fortune to make a living. This has been a common issue amongst the artists since
time immemorial. Here, the narrator wants to make it clear to the reader that to be
an artist requires tremendous sacrifice and very often that sacrifice is to live
externally or in exclusion from the society. It is almost necessary to be isolated from
human error and strive to see the beauty in human nature. Aloofness is vital in the
creation of art as it gives them the space to utilize their creativity and imagination to
produce something praiseworthy.
The artists have an important role to fulfill in this world and that is to be the “movers
and shakers.” The use of this term implies rebellion, a rebellion against conventional
existence. It is implied as a change in the status quo; especially that of art. Art does
not confine itself to social, political, religious or cultural boundaries. Art unites people
and inspires imagination. The artists shape public opinion and help in building a
better world consisting of people who would be determined to bring dynamicity in
the drab, dull society.

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2nd 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:
One man with a dream, at pleasure,
Shall go forth and conquer a crown;
And three with a new song’s measure
Can trample a kingdom down.

In the second stanza, the speaker draws our attention to the contributions of artists
to the world. The poet celebrates creation and fantasy and the artist’s ability to give
birth to something new. They stay away from worldly pleasure but at the same time,
they are able to address issues through their art that pushes the society forward.
Artists have the gift of imagination through which they help manifest a new world,
built new cities and create a glorified empire out of their stories. They help to arouse
radical thoughts, feelings, and realizations in people’s mind. It further implies that
the works of art outlive any other materialistic possessions. Men are bound to die but
the art they create lives forever. People draw their strength and inspiration from the
work of these artists thus they are creating a better world through their art. Art is a
salvation in itself and has been the man’s greatest achievement yet.

3rd Stanza
We, in the ages lying,
In the buried past of the earth,
Built Nineveh with our sighing,
And Babel itself in our mirth;
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 poet alludes to the ancient Biblical cities of Nineveh and Babel to highlight the
ability of artists to create and destroy. The artists belong to all ages and every era
comes with a prophecy of a new and better era. He refers to the cities of Babel &
Nineveh, fostering the idea of art as a divine creation. The speaker almost equates
the artists with some divine figure possessing the God-like attribute of creation and
destruction. The narrator clearly states the importance of the existence of artists in
our society and the beneficiary roles that they play. It is because they have an
indomitable spirit and can manifest the most unfathomable things that are beyond
our imagination. The narrator further states that the artists are capable of
overthrowing the old world with their prophecy of the new world. According to him,
the dreams of the artists that shape the world today are replaced by the new dreams
of a modern and better era. Hence, the birth of a new dream gives rise to the birth
of a new age and a better world. The poet puts the artists in the highest pedestal
and renders them to be immortal, thereby reasserting the fact that even though they
are “losers and forsakers”, they are ultimately the “movers and shakers” of the
world.

1. Do you agree with O’Shaughnessy that the artists of the world are the
movers and shakers of the world?

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Ans. Yes, artists are the movers and shakers of the world. This implies that artists are the
people who make the world move forward. They are the rebels who challenge the
existing norms and establish new norms. Their power surfaces when their art rebels
against the norms set by society. Their work contrasts their escapist nature from the
revolutionary one. There is a popular opinion that artists are escapists. This is
because they prefer to stay away from the crowded cities. They prefer to go to
secluded places by the seas or the rivers as they seek inspiration from the nature.
Artists, music-makers and dreamers bring harmony, creativity and sweetness to the
real world. They make the desires of mankind stronger by giving expression to it.
They do not live as comfortably as normal people do. They live in poverty, yet their
imagination shapes the realities of ordinary people. They give the push that is
necessary for the society in order to get on the path of progress. Therefore, despite
staying outside the ordinary world, they influence it considerably. Like the romantic
poets, O’Shaughnessy has given the description of the romantic artist who could be
seen as an escapist but it is he/she whose imagination has the power to shape the
world. The artist’s imagination can inspire people to build the world’s greatest cities.
Built Nineveh with our sighing, And Babel itself with our mirth; Not only that, the
poet says that the artists can “conquer a crown” as well as “trample an empire
down”. The artists’ dreams can alter the realities of mankind. It is they who create
the myths, fantasies, stories and legends and also the songs and sculptures which
not only inspire generations, but also become important landmarks of human
civilizations. Though the artists do not participate directly in the upheavals and
revolutions and nor do they lead any revolts, their thoughts often shape the outcome
of such events. The poet warns against belittling the power of artists in the poem.
They have the power to shake up things or move the realities to different planes.
Therefore, they have been called the movers and shakers.

2. Can the poem ‘We are the Music Makers’ be classified as a traditional ode?
Give reasons for your answer.

Ans. An ode is a type of poem that exalts the subject matter and is serious in nature. The
theme of an ode is never treated as trivial. According to this definition, the poem ‘We
are the Music Makers’ is an ode. It very seriously deals with the subject matter that
it takes up. O’Shaughnessy praises the creative people of the world – the artists,
poets, musicians, etc. The poem marks a celebration of the power and impact of
such creative people in our day to day lives. The poet concurs with the notion that
poets and artists do not participate in the real world. They do not lead revolutions or
battles and largely remain outside the action. This is because the creative people
always look for beauty and harmony. Therefore, such people can be found in
secluded places close to the nature such as beaches or river banks. O’Shaughnessy
gives us a description of a romantic artist who appreciates the beauty of nature and
prefers to stay away from the mundane humdrum of daily life. Like the Romantic
poets, he speaks of the creativity of the artist as a divine ability. Like Coleridge, he
believes that the artist embodies infinite possibilities. He does not believe that the
fantasies and dreams of the artists are in vain. He sees that there is a greater
purpose to them. In the poem he says that it is their imagination which inspires
generations. They do not follow the norm and stand apart. He has given them the
tag of ‘rebels’. The poem gives us a clear picture of the poet’s opinions and views. He
talks about poets and artists very seriously. He has spoken about the abilities of the
artists very seriously and therefore, it is only fitting to say that the poem can be
called a traditional ode.

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3. Comment on the theme of the poem ‘We are the Music Makers’

Ans. The main theme of the poem is the transformative power of art in all forms and the
greatness of the artists. Written in the praise of all artists, ‘We are the Music Makers’
accentuates their role in the world. The social reforms that their works bring to the
society make their presence vital for all human beings. The artists dreamand their
dreams shape our reality, as they affect our minds and thoughts. An artist is
someone who is more than a mortal – he is the creator of art. S/he creates music
that soothes us, paintings that entice us, sculptures that move us, stories that
amaze us. He has defended the artists and disagreed with the view that artists are
escapists. The creations of artists subdue the harshness of reality and make one
appreciate the beauty of life. They are creators in their own terms and their creations
are eternal. The divinity that they create through their creations is supreme. Though
the artists wander by the lone sea and oceans, they do so to find inspiration and not
merely to escape. The artists play a powerful role of being the ‘movers and shakers’
who challenge the realms of society through their art. Their power surfaces when
their art rebels against the norms set by society. Their work contrasts their escapist
nature from the revolutionary one. He says the artists have inspired and beautified
mankind with their eternal songs (creations).He believes that through their powerful
creations or ‘deathless ditties’, the artists have inspired people to build ‘the world’s
greatest cities’. They have adorned the empire’s glory with their fanciful, fabulous
stories.

4. Comment on the form and structure of the song “We are the Music Makers”.

Ans. We are the Music Makers is an ode, written to praise and glorify the artists, who
have the caliber to create eternal creations. The rhyme scheme followed in the poem
is in an elevated style and tone. The first and the third stanzas follow the rhyme
scheme: ab ababab. The second stanza follows the rhyme scheme: aa bb cd cd. In
his poem, the poet has identified himself in collaboration with all other artists.
Therefore, he has represented all artists in the ode through the opening lines ‘We are
the Music Makers’. O’Shaughnessy has used a few literary devices in the poem:
‘movers and shakers’ – This is used for the creative artists who challenged the status
quo and brought about required changes in the society. The poet has also used
Allusions like ‘Nineveh’, which refers to the ancient, flourishing capital of the Assyrian
Empire, founded by Nimrod. It saw a great fall as the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.
He also mentioned ‘Babel’ - an allusion to the Tower of Babel that represented unity
of men towards building a tower tall enough to reach heaven. Apparently, God
confounded their speech that resulted in confusion among the people and thereby
they all were scattered. O’Shaughnessy has used Alliteration in the lyrics and
repeated a few consonant sounds to create a flow in the poem: ‘We are the music
makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, With wonderful deathless ditties. The
use of imagery by the poet has created a lyrical emotion to the artists’ way of living
and their existence: ‘Wandering by lone sea-breakers’ ‘And sitting by desolate
streams.’ ‘the pale moon gleams’

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