Alexander's Feast Or The Power of Music by John Dryden (Summary & Analysis)

 

Alexander's Feast

Or

The Power of Music

by John Dryden

(Summary & Analysis) 

John Dryden was the poet of ‘the Restoration period’ (1660 – 1700). This age is also known as ‘the age of Dryden’. The general characteristics of this age are:

·      The restoration of Charles 2, which brought about a revolutionary change in life and literature.

·      The work of the authors of this period was initiative and of limited quality. They lacked creativity and the flight of imagination. They slavishly followed the rules.

·      Realism and formalism were another characteristic quality of this period. The authors turned to great classical writers, especially to the Latin writers for guidance and inspiration.

·      They imitated the French writers also.

·      Dryden was the first of the new, as Milton was the last of the old school of poetry.

Dryden was born in 1631 in Northampton shire and in 1658 he moved to London and for 40 years he produced literary works of all kinds. He was the representative poet of his age. His poetry contains both merits and demerits of his age. He is one of the most polished English satirists. He was a master of polished diction. He wrote both poetry and prose wonderfully. As a poet he is not original in the sense but he is an original artist. As a poet he cannot be ranked among Shakespeare and Milton, but he deserves an eminent place in the second class of poets.

Summary

The poem ‘Alexander’s Feast’ or ‘The power of music’ is an ode in honor of St. Cecilia’s Day (22 November 1697). Through this poem the poet wants to express the power of music. A society of musician had decided to organize a series of concert to celebrate St. Cecilia’s Day on 22nd November, 1697. Dryden was asked by the steward of the society to write an ode for the concert. In the ode Dryden combined the traditional story of Timotheus and Alexander & Thais. He did so to illustrate the doctrine of the complex psycho-logical effect of music.

With the story of master musician Timotheus, the poet tries to prove the power of music. In the first stanza he gives the background of the poem than he arises the feeling of pride in Alexander by singing the story of his divine birth. With the music of the Greek musician, Timotheus the poet arises the feelings of Joy by singing the praises of Bacchus, the God of wine. In the fourth part of the poem the feeling of pity is aroused by singing the deserted state of Darius in the battle field. In the fifth stanza Timotheus arises love for Thais in Alexander and in the sixth stanza he flames the feeling of revenge in Alexander. The poet ends his poem by crowning Timotheus for instrumental music and St. Cecilia for vocal one.

Analysis

John Dryden wrote this ode, ‘Alexander’s Feast’ Or ‘the Power of Music’ to celebrate St. Cecilia’s Day. The song became Dryden’s most popular song.

This ode celebrates music, with the martyred St. Cecilia, traditionally recognized as the creator of the organ. Dryden praises various instruments and the human passions they arise. Then he focuses on two classical stories, one of Timotheus the musician and Alexander the Great, the other of Alexander with his beautiful courtesan bride Thais. Timotheus, with his music, entertains the guests and moves Alexander from one passion to another. The drunken Alexander eventually starts weeping.

In the ode, St. Cecilia eventually enters toward its conclusion. Alexander remains its center and the audiences’ favorite. The seven stanzas vary in length. Each stanza contains a chorus, which comments on the scene.

In the first stanza, Alexander is described as “The godlike hero” and Thais as “like a blooming Eastern bride / In flow’r of youth and beauty’s pride.” The four lines of the chorus have a celebratory tone:

Happy, happy, happy pair!

None but the brave,

None but the brave,

None but the brave deserves the fair.

The second stanza introduces the musician Timotheus,

Timotheus placed on high

Amid the tuneful quire

With flying fingers touch'd the lyre

Timotheus plays his lyre with “flying fingers”, his music ascends to the heavens, and inspires joy. Jove, in “A dragon’s fiery form” and riding “on radiant spires” goes to Olympia. He then

“stamp’d an image of himself, a sov’reign of the world”

and the audience assumes that stamp is Alexander.

The third stanza praises Bacchus, God of wine. Dryden describes the celebration of Alexander’s attack on the Persian capital city of Persepolis. Timotheus sings,

Drinking is the soldier’s pleasure;

Rich the treasure,

Sweet the pleasure

Sweet is pleasure after pain.

In stanza 4, Timotheus says that

the king grew vain;

Fought all his battles o'er again,

And thrice he routed all his foes, and thrice he slew the slain!

The passion for war eventually softened by pity for Darius, the Persian ruler. Alexander “the joyless victor sat” as he considers chance, and he weeps. Stanza five celebrates the softening of the mighty master because “pity melts the mind to love.” Timotheus sings that war

is toil and trouble,

Honour but an empty bubble

He prays Alexander to consider that

If the world be worth thy winning,

Think, O think it worth enjoying.

He reminds Alexander of his lovely bride, and then:

The Prince, unable to conceal his pain,

Gaz’d on the fair Who caused his care,

And sighed and look’d, sigh’d and look’d,

Sigh’d and look’d, and sigh’d again;

At length, with love and wine at once oppress’d,

The vanquish’d victor sunk upon her breast.

In the sixth stanza, Timotheus describes the prince awakening as he hears the lyre, amazed to

See the Furies arise!

See the snakes that they rear

The Furies symbolize Thais in her control of Alexander, while the snakes suggest the temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden that led to original sin. Thais tempts Alexander to burn Persepolis, after his men’s drunken looting of its riches. Thais led a procession of warriors and women to the accompaniment of flutes and pipes, and convinces Alexander to hurl his torch into the city, and the once-glorious city was destroyed. Thais “led the way” of Alexander

to light him to his prey

And like another Helen fir’d another Troy.

The reference to Helen reflects the power of women to stir men’s passions, even to war.

St. Cecilia, patroness of music, arrives in the final stanza, and

Enlarg’d the former narrow bounds

And added length to solemn sounds

With nature’s mother-wit and arts unknown before.

Or both divide the crown;

He rais’d a mortal to the skies;

She drew an angel down.

Timotheus praises the mortal, Alexander, and St. Cecilia’s music tempts heavenly creatures to descend to earth.