On Mrs. Kemble's Readings from Shakespeare
On Mrs. Kemble's Readings from Shakespeare - meaning Summary
Celebrating Live Shakespeare Readings
Longfellow celebrates Fanny Kemble’9s public readings of Shakespeare, praising how her voice animates the poet’9s text and grants living speech to the past. The poem frames the audience as heirs to a rich intellectual legacy and admires both reader and poet: the reader for bringing forth meaning from the "magic book" and the poet for being joyfully understood and untroubled by critics.
Read Complete AnalysesO precious evenings! all too swiftly sped! Leaving us heirs to amplest heritages Of all the best thoughts of the greatest sages, And giving tongues unto the silent dead! How our hearts glowed and trembled as she read, Interpreting by tones the wondrous pages Of the great poet who foreruns the ages, Anticipating all that shall be said! O happy Reader! having for thy text The magic book, whose Sibylline leaves have caught The rarest essence of all human thought! O happy Poet! by no critic vext! How must thy listening spirit now rejoice To be interpreted by such a voice!
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