Poetry · Chapter
An Actor explained
The chapter reflects on the actor Joseph Emmett, who interprets a woman's blush as a trumpet-note of fame and persists in his performance despite audience hisses and contention, ultimately clearing the house with a single slow gesture.
What happens
The chapter reflects on the actor Joseph Emmett, who interprets a woman's blush as a trumpet-note of fame and persists in his performance despite audience hisses and contention, ultimately clearing the house with a single slow gesture.
Themes in this chapter
Art and Criticism
The chapter examines the relationship between the actor's art and the audience's critical response, highlighting the tension between artistic expression and public reception.
Deception and Self-Deception
The actor's interpretation of a blush as a sign of fame and his persistence in the face of hisses suggest a self-deceptive belief in his own artistry.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator observes and critiques the actor's performance and the audience's reaction.
Key passages
“The color of a trumpet’s blare is red; And Joseph Emmett thinks the crimson shame On woman’s cheek a trumpet-note of fame.”
Joseph Emmett believes that a woman's blush is like a loud trumpet call announcing his own fame.
This introduces the actor's peculiar interpretation of a blush as a positive sign of renown.
“With impudence imperial, sublime, Unmoved, the patient actor bides his time, Till storm and counter-storm are both allayed, Like donkeys, each by t’other one outbrayed.”
The actor waits calmly through the uproar of hisses and cheers, as if both sides are just donkeys braying at each other.
The narrator compares the audience's conflict to donkeys, emphasizing the actor's patient and superior attitude.
“When all the place is silent as a mouse One slow, suggestive gesture clears the house!”
Once the noise subsides, a single deliberate gesture from the actor empties the theater.
The actor's final gesture has a powerful effect, driving the audience away.