English poet Arthur O'Shaughnessy's most famous work by far, "Ode (We are the music makers)" has become a touchstone for idealists and dreamers since its first publication in 1873. In this poem, a chorus of artists sing of themselves and their role as revolutionary seers. Artists, the poem suggests, are both the predictors and the creators of glorious new futures. Through their prophetic imaginations, they foresee the change they go on to inspire. As such, they are "the movers and shakers" of history—or, in the earlier poet Shelley's words, "the unacknowledged legislators of the world."
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The Full Text of “Ode (We are the music makers)”
1We are the music makers,
2 And we are the dreamers of dreams,
3Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
4 And sitting by desolate streams; —
5World-losers and world-forsakers,
6 On whom the pale moon gleams:
7Yet we are the movers and shakers
8 Of the world for ever, it seems.
9With wonderful deathless ditties
10We build up the world's great cities,
11 And out of a fabulous story
12 We fashion an empire's glory:
13One man with a dream, at pleasure,
14 Shall go forth and conquer a crown;
15And three with a new song's measure
16 Can trample a kingdom down.
17We, in the ages lying,
18 In the buried past of the earth,
19Built Nineveh with our sighing,
20 And Babel itself in our mirth;
21And o'erthrew them with prophesying
22 To the old of the new world's worth;
23For each age is a dream that is dying,
24 Or one that is coming to birth.
25A breath of our inspiration
26Is the life of each generation;
27 A wondrous thing of our dreaming
28 Unearthly, impossible seeming —
29The soldier, the king, and the peasant
30 Are working together in one,
31Till our dream shall become their present,
32 And their work in the world be done.
33They had no vision amazing
34Of the goodly house they are raising;
35 They had no divine foreshowing
36 Of the land to which they are going:
37But on one man's soul it hath broken,
38 A light that doth not depart;
39And his look, or a word he hath spoken,
40 Wrought flame in another man's heart.
41And therefore to-day is thrilling
42With a past day's late fulfilling;
43 And the multitudes are enlisted
44 In the faith that their fathers resisted,
45And, scorning the dream of to-morrow,
46 Are bringing to pass, as they may,
47In the world, for its joy or its sorrow,
48 The dream that was scorned yesterday.
49But we, with our dreaming and singing,
50 Ceaseless and sorrowless we!
51The glory about us clinging
52 Of the glorious futures we see,
53Our souls with high music ringing:
54 O men! it must ever be
55That we dwell, in our dreaming and singing,
56 A little apart from ye.
57For we are afar with the dawning
58 And the suns that are not yet high,
59And out of the infinite morning
60 Intrepid you hear us cry —
61How, spite of your human scorning,
62 Once more God's future draws nigh,
63And already goes forth the warning
64 That ye of the past must die.
65Great hail! we cry to the comers
66 From the dazzling unknown shore;
67Bring us hither your sun and your summers;
68 And renew our world as of yore;
69You shall teach us your song's new numbers,
70 And things that we dreamed not before:
71Yea, in spite of a dreamer who slumbers,
72 And a singer who sings no more.
The Full Text of “Ode (We are the music makers)”
1We are the music makers,
2 And we are the dreamers of dreams,
3Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
4 And sitting by desolate streams; —
5World-losers and world-forsakers,
6 On whom the pale moon gleams:
7Yet we are the movers and shakers
8 Of the world for ever, it seems.
9With wonderful deathless ditties
10We build up the world's great cities,
11 And out of a fabulous story
12 We fashion an empire's glory:
13One man with a dream, at pleasure,
14 Shall go forth and conquer a crown;
15And three with a new song's measure
16 Can trample a kingdom down.
17We, in the ages lying,
18 In the buried past of the earth,
19Built Nineveh with our sighing,
20 And Babel itself in our mirth;
21And o'erthrew them with prophesying
22 To the old of the new world's worth;
23For each age is a dream that is dying,
24 Or one that is coming to birth.
25A breath of our inspiration
26Is the life of each generation;
27 A wondrous thing of our dreaming
28 Unearthly, impossible seeming —
29The soldier, the king, and the peasant
30 Are working together in one,
31Till our dream shall become their present,
32 And their work in the world be done.
33They had no vision amazing
34Of the goodly house they are raising;
35 They had no divine foreshowing
36 Of the land to which they are going:
37But on one man's soul it hath broken,
38 A light that doth not depart;
39And his look, or a word he hath spoken,
40 Wrought flame in another man's heart.
41And therefore to-day is thrilling
42With a past day's late fulfilling;
43 And the multitudes are enlisted
44 In the faith that their fathers resisted,
45And, scorning the dream of to-morrow,
46 Are bringing to pass, as they may,
47In the world, for its joy or its sorrow,
48 The dream that was scorned yesterday.
49But we, with our dreaming and singing,
50 Ceaseless and sorrowless we!
51The glory about us clinging
52 Of the glorious futures we see,
53Our souls with high music ringing:
54 O men! it must ever be
55That we dwell, in our dreaming and singing,
56 A little apart from ye.
57For we are afar with the dawning
58 And the suns that are not yet high,
59And out of the infinite morning
60 Intrepid you hear us cry —
61How, spite of your human scorning,
62 Once more God's future draws nigh,
63And already goes forth the warning
64 That ye of the past must die.
65Great hail! we cry to the comers
66 From the dazzling unknown shore;
67Bring us hither your sun and your summers;
68 And renew our world as of yore;
69You shall teach us your song's new numbers,
70 And things that we dreamed not before:
71Yea, in spite of a dreamer who slumbers,
72 And a singer who sings no more.
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“Ode (We are the music makers)” Summary
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“Ode (We are the music makers)” Themes
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The Revolutionary Power of Art
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Artistic Isolation and Connection
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Ode (We are the music makers)”
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Lines 1-8
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. -
Lines 9-16
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. -
Lines 17-20
We, in the ages lying,
In the buried past of the earth,
Built Nineveh with our sighing,
And Babel itself in our mirth; -
Lines 21-24
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. -
Lines 25-32
A breath of our inspiration
Is the life of each generation;
A wondrous thing of our dreaming
Unearthly, impossible seeming —
The soldier, the king, and the peasant
Are working together in one,
Till our dream shall become their present,
And their work in the world be done. -
Lines 33-40
They had no vision amazing
Of the goodly house they are raising;
They had no divine foreshowing
Of the land to which they are going:
But on one man's soul it hath broken,
A light that doth not depart;
And his look, or a word he hath spoken,
Wrought flame in another man's heart. -
Lines 41-48
And therefore to-day is thrilling
With a past day's late fulfilling;
And the multitudes are enlisted
In the faith that their fathers resisted,
And, scorning the dream of to-morrow,
Are bringing to pass, as they may,
In the world, for its joy or its sorrow,
The dream that was scorned yesterday. -
Lines 49-56
But we, with our dreaming and singing,
Ceaseless and sorrowless we!
The glory about us clinging
Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing:
O men! it must ever be
That we dwell, in our dreaming and singing,
A little apart from ye. -
Lines 57-64
For we are afar with the dawning
And the suns that are not yet high,
And out of the infinite morning
Intrepid you hear us cry —
How, spite of your human scorning,
Once more God's future draws nigh,
And already goes forth the warning
That ye of the past must die. -
Lines 65-72
Great hail! we cry to the comers
From the dazzling unknown shore;
Bring us hither your sun and your summers;
And renew our world as of yore;
You shall teach us your song's new numbers,
And things that we dreamed not before:
Yea, in spite of a dreamer who slumbers,
And a singer who sings no more.
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“Ode (We are the music makers)” Symbols
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Oceans and Rivers
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The Moon
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The Sun, Light, and Fire
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Cities and Buildings
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Music and song
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“Ode (We are the music makers)” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Alliteration
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Allusion
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Apostrophe
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Assonance
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Metaphor
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Sibilance
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Metonymy
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Repetition
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“Ode (We are the music makers)” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Desolate
- Forsakers
- Fashion
- Measure
- Nineveh and Babel
- Mirth
- O'erthrew
- Goodly
- Foreshowing
- Hath, doth
- Ceaseless
- Ye
- Intrepid
- Nigh
- Hither
- Yore
- Numbers
- Yea
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Ode (We are the music makers)”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Ode (We are the music makers)” Speaker
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“Ode (We are the music makers)” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Ode (We are the music makers)”
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More “Ode (We are the music makers)” Resources
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External Resources
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A Short Biography — Check out Britannica's entry on O'Shaughnessy.
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Gene Wilder Quotes the Poem — Gene Wilder, playing Willy Wonka, recites an excerpt from the poem. Just one demonstration of the mark the "Ode" has left on language and popular culture!
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The Aphex Twin Version of the Poem — A recent take on the poem by the ambient band Aphex Twin. O'Shaughnessy's most famous poem continues to leave its mark on art even today.
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An Essay on the Poem's Afterlife — Dr. Jordan Kistler, an O'Shaughnessy scholar, on how this poem has been received and remembered. A lot of people know this poem, but few know who wrote it!
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A Reading of the Poem — Hear the full poem read aloud.
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