Concetti Chiave
- John Dryden's "Song for Saint Cecilia's day" is an ode dedicated to Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music, celebrating the divine origins of music and harmony in creation.
- The poem suggests that music has the power to evoke and amplify every human emotion, from passion to reverence, as illustrated by the biblical figure Jubal's celestial music.
- Musical instruments are portrayed with distinct emotional effects: the trumpet incites action, the flute conveys sorrow, the violin expresses desperation, and the organ inspires holy love.
- Orpheus and Saint Cecilia are highlighted for their exceptional musical influence, with Orpheus calming wild beasts and Cecilia's music being mistaken by angels as heavenly.
- The poem envisions a future where, at the end of times, music will play a crucial role, with the trumpet signaling the resurrection of the dead and music pervading the heavens.
Introduction to the ode
“Song for Saint Cecilia’s day” is an ode written by John Dryden for Saint Cecilia, patron of music. In these following lines we make a short abstract of it.
In this poem Dryden says that world was created from harmony and music by God: a voice was heard from the sky and told nature it was time to arise. Then cold, hot, moist and dry started to form every creature. Music can arise every passion and feeling. Also when Jubal played, his brother used to stay to worship the celestial sound.
Power of musical instruments
The trumpet’s sound excites us and gives us a wonderful shrill, and the beat of the thundering drum seems to say: “Here there’s your enemy! Charge! Charge!”
The sad flute has dying notes and shares the woes of hopeless lovers.
The violin has desperation and passion in its notes. And what about the organ, that inspires holy love and whose notes seems to fly in the air?
Orpheus and Cecilia's influence
Orpheus could make every wild beast quiet and peaceful with his music, and when Cecilia played, an angel heard her and mistook earth for heaven.
When the last hour will come, destroying everything, the trumpet will be heard, the dead men will come alive again, and those who are alive will die. And music will invade the sky.
Domande da interrogazione
- How does John Dryden describe the creation of the world in "Song for Saint Cecilia’s Day"?
- What role do musical instruments play in Dryden's ode?
- How are Orpheus and Saint Cecilia portrayed in the poem?
Dryden describes the world as being created from harmony and music by God, with a voice from the sky prompting nature to arise, leading to the formation of all creatures.
Musical instruments in the ode evoke various emotions and actions; the trumpet excites and signals battle, the flute conveys sadness, the violin expresses desperation and passion, and the organ inspires holy love.
Orpheus is depicted as calming wild beasts with his music, while Saint Cecilia's playing is so divine that an angel mistakes earth for heaven, highlighting their profound influence through music.
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