Arthur O’Shaughnessy (1844-1881) was a British poet and herpetologist born in London, England. One of O’Shaughnessy’s most famous poems is titled “Ode.”
I’m sure many of you have heard his first line which has made its way into many songs, films and more.
“We are the music makers; we are the dreamers of dreams."
I love this poem. I love the simplicity and truthfulness behind each word, even though the reality behind them can be quite painful to accept. The words speak of both the wonders of humanity and the undeniable tragedy and chaos that we humans put ourselves through and create, century after century.
ODE
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, 5
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.
With wonderful deathless ditties
We build up the world's great cities, 10
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 15
Can trample an empire down.
We, in the ages lying
In the buried past of the earth,
Built Nineveh with our sighing,
And Babel itself with our mirth; 20
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.
Alicia M. Blair