THE DOLPHIN'S BACK
rescuing lost poets
In Greek myth,
Arion was a poet and musician,
who created wild and ecstatic songs in praise of Dionysius,
god of wine, fertility, and ritual madness
Songs that were the origin of Greek drama
Once,
returning home by sea,
Arion was kidnapped by pirates,
who threatened to throw him overboard
He begged to play his music one last time before his death,
the pirates agreed, and Arion sang to Apollo, the god of poetry
Then they threw him overboard into the sea, but . . .
his music had attracted a school of dolphins
One of them rescued him,
and Arion was carried on the dolphin's back back to shore
Arion was a poet and musician,
who created wild and ecstatic songs in praise of Dionysius,
god of wine, fertility, and ritual madness
Songs that were the origin of Greek drama
Once,
returning home by sea,
Arion was kidnapped by pirates,
who threatened to throw him overboard
He begged to play his music one last time before his death,
the pirates agreed, and Arion sang to Apollo, the god of poetry
Then they threw him overboard into the sea, but . . .
his music had attracted a school of dolphins
One of them rescued him,
and Arion was carried on the dolphin's back back to shore
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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
Act 2 Scene 1 OBERON
My gentle Puck come hither – thou rememberest Since once I sat upon a promontory, And heard a Mermaid on a Dolphin's back, Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath, That the rude sea grew civil at her song, And certain star shot madly from their Spheres, To hear the Sea-maid's music? PUCK I remember |
TWELFTH NIGHT
Act 1 Scene 2 SEA -CAPTAIN
I saw your brother Most provident in peril, bind himself (Courage and hope both teaching him the practice) To a strong Mast, that lived upon the sea – Where like Arion on the Dolphin's back, I saw him hold acquaintance with the waves, So long as I could see. VIOLA For saying so, there's gold |