The Musician and the Orator
The work establishes a dichotomy between two kinds of art: one that privileges impersonal, abstract sound and another that harnesses the personal power of language. It begins by contrasting the idea that music is the ultimate form of art with the opposing view that rhetoric, as the art of persuasive speech, holds that distinction. The argument is that the orator—who combines stories, humor, tears, and a touch of musical quality in the cadences of his words—can move an audience with a complexity and immediacy that pure music cannot achieve. This oratorical approach is seen as more inclusive and memorable because it embeds the abstract elements of music within the intimate, human context of language. The text criticizes those who are enamored solely with music, suggesting that such enthusiasts risk losing the intimate, personal connection that words uniquely provide. It mocks the idea that musical sound, while beautiful, is so impersonal that it cannot evoke a lasting emotional imprint, giving the example that one does not remember a sonata with the same evocative force as one might recall a moving story delivered by a skilled speaker. In this light, the orator is portrayed as superior in his ability to engage the senses and capture the audience’s memory. Further, the work satirizes the musicians themselves, alleging that they treat language with a kind of disdain or fear—preferring instead to “masticate” words slowly until they lose their clarity and individuality, rather than allowing them to retain their raw, personal impact. The process is depicted as almost parasitic: words, once broken down and devalued, serve merely as a supplement to the impersonal realm of sound rather than as an art in their own right. Underlying the critique is a broader meditation on the nature of art itself. The text argues that while music is undeniably capable of producing immediate sensory pleasure, it is the power of eloquence and well-crafted language that ultimately endears art to the human heart. Personal engagement, memory, and emotion flourish in the spoken or written word because they can capture the multifaceted experiences of life in a way that abstract sound alone cannot. By valorizing the orator’s multifarious use of persuasion, the work champions an artistic sensibility that fully exploits the available emotional and intellectual resources to enchant and transform an audience. In summary, the work posits that while both music and rhetoric have their merits, it is the personal, evocative power of language—capable of incorporating, yet transcending, the aesthetic qualities of music—that offers the most profound means of artistic expression.
By W.B. Yeats · First published 1899 · Genre: Literary Essay, Aesthetic Criticism, Philosophical Essay · 298 words
First lines
Walter Pater says music is the type of all the Arts, but somebody else, I forget now who, that oratory is their type. You will side with the one or the other according to the nature of your energy, and I in my present mood am all for the man who, with an average audience before him, uses all means of persuasion -- stories, laughter, tears, and but so much music as he can discover on the wings of words. I would even avoid the conversation of the lovers of music, who would draw us into the impersonal land of sound and colour, and would have no one write with a sonata in his memory. We may even speak a little evil of musicians, having admitted that they will see before we do that melodious crown. We may remind them that the housemaid does not respect the piano-tuner as she does the plumber, and of the enmity that they have aroused among all poets. Music is the most impersonal of things and words the most personal, and that is why musicians do not like words. They masticate them for a long time, being afraid they would not be able to digest them, and when the words are so broken and softened and mixed with spittle, that they are not words any longer, they swallow them.
What this Textopian page supports
The Musician and the Orator is listed on Textopian as a short story by W.B. Yeats, dated 1899 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: W.B. Yeats
- Date: 1899 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Essay, Aesthetic Criticism, Philosophical Essay, Art Criticism, Rhetorical Literature
- Length: 298 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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Genres
- Literary Essay — The work reflects on art by juxtaposing music and wordcraft through a reflective and discursive essay form.
- Aesthetic Criticism — It evaluates artistic expressions by examining the nuances between the impersonal nature of music and the personal quality of words.
- Philosophical Essay — It engages with underlying questions about beauty, persuasion, and the human experience through art.
- Art Criticism — It critiques the roles and perceptions of different art forms, particularly the contrast between oratory and musical expression.
Tags
criticism · analysis · literary criticism · culture · tradition · music · oratory · expression · aesthetics · style · symbolism · mythology