The Founder of the Feast by Robert Browning
The speaker compares Arthur Chappell's musical hospitality to a prince inviting guests to admire paintings. The speaker thanks Chappell for evenings of music performed by Halle, Schumann, Piatti, and Joachim, recalling the guests' rapture.
By Robert Browning · Genre: Celebratory Poetry, Tribute · 192 words
First lines
"Enter my palace," if a prince should say -- / "Feast with the Painters! See, in bounteous row, / They range from Titian up to Angelo! " / Could we be silent at the rich survey? / A host so kindly, in as great a way / Invites to banquet, substitutes for show / Sound that 's diviner still, and bids us know / Bach like Beethoven; are we thankless, pray?
Thanks, then, to Arthur Chappell, -- thanks to him / Whose every guest henceforth not idly vaunts / "Sense has received the utmost Nature grants, / My cup was filled with rapture to the brim, / When, night by night, -- ah, memory, how it haunts! -- / Music was poured by perfect ministrants, / By Halle, Schumann, Piatti, Joachim.
_April 5, 1884._
Genres
- Celebratory Poetry — The verses thank a musical host and describe his guests' delight in the performances.
- Tribute — The speaker explicitly thanks Arthur Chappell for providing evenings of music.
Tags
music · hospitality · gratitude · musical performance · memory
What this Textopian page supports
The Founder of the Feast is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Browning, dated Date unknown.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Browning
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Celebratory Poetry, Tribute
- Length: 192 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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