To Richard Brinsley Sheridan

Song Meaning

This poem directly addresses Richard Brinsley Sheridan, painting him as a figure of extraordinary, almost divine, creative and intellectual power. The opening lines suggest an external, "Spirit," imbued his "young mind" with "wildly-various power," a force the narrator has observed closely during his formative "shaping hour." Sheridan's mind is depicted as adorned with "Hymettian flow'rets," evoking classical ideals of wisdom and poetic inspiration. The narrator then elaborates on the beauty and emotional resonance of Sheridan's voice. It's compared to the "Sad Music" that trembled over "Laura's bier" in Vaucluse, a poignant image of sorrow and artistic expression. This is further likened to a "love-lorn Serenade" at dawn, carrying "soft dreams" to a "listening ear," highlighting a capacity for both profound melancholy and tender, evocative beauty. The lyrics shift dramatically to describe Sheridan's present public persona, filled with "patriot Rage and Indignation." His voice now swells with these powerful emotions, and his "eye-beams dance" with "Scorn and Wit's quaint revelry." This vibrant energy is contrasted with the "Apostate" who writhes "inly from the bosom-probing glance," suggesting Sheridan's sharp intellect and moral clarity expose those who have betrayed principles, likening them to a "Fiend" defeated by "great Michael's sword."