A poet and herpetologist who wrote the famous phrase "We are the music makers" and studied reptiles and amphibians. Known for his romantic and imaginative poetry.
Arthur O'Shaughnessy is best known for his iconic poem "Ode," which begins with the lines "We are the music makers, / And we are the dreamers of dreams." This poem, from his 1874 collection Music and Moonlight, has been set to music by several renowned composers, including Edward Elgar, Zoltán Kodály, and Aphex Twin.
Arthur O'Shaughnessy was born on March 14, 1844, in London, to an Irish family. At the age of 17, he secured a post as a transcriber in the British Museum's library, reportedly through the influence of Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton. Two years later, he became a herpetologist in the museum's zoological department, where he dedicated himself to the study of reptiles.
During his time at the British Museum, O'Shaughnessy described six new species of reptiles, and after his death, he was honored with the specific name oshaughnessyi, which was used to describe four new species of lizards by Albert Günther and George Albert Boulenger.
Despite his accomplishments in herpetology, O'Shaughnessy's true passion was for literature. He published his first collection of poetry, Epic of Women, in 1870, followed by Lays of France in 1872, and then Music and Moonlight in 1874. This last collection solidified his reputation as a poet, and "Ode" remains his most celebrated and frequently quoted poem.
O'Shaughnessy's poetry is characterized by its formal and aesthetic cutting-edge style, which aligned him with the Pre-Raphaelite movement. His poems often explored the role of art and the artist in society.
In 1874, at the age of 30, O'Shaughnessy married, and for the remaining seven years of his life, he did not publish any new volumes of poetry. His final collection, Songs of a Worker, was published posthumously in 1881.
Arthur O'Shaughnessy's life was cut short when he died on January 30, 1881, at the age of 36. Despite his premature death, his poetry has continued to inspire generations of artists, musicians, and writers.
Today, Arthur O'Shaughnessy's poetry continues to be celebrated for its beauty, passion, and exploration of the human experience. His legacy extends beyond literature, influencing musicians, artists, and thinkers across generations.
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