The Transcendent Power of Music

“Jazz Riven” can be read as a love letter to jazz music, and particularly to the effects on those who are exposed to it in its house of worship. This is hinted at in the empty stagnancy of the opening lines, which take place before the music begins. The room is “Derelict” and “struggling” (Lines 1, 3), the assembled figures ghostly. The speaker gives the impression that this space is devoid of light, colour, and life. The vague, slightly archaic language emphasizes this muddy stillness.

Once the music begins with a bang, everything changes: the silence is violently killed by the ferocity of the music. It’s only at this point that the speaker appears directly on the page, giving the reader a more intimate view of the effects of the song. The listeners become “Engulfed as swimmers, / trembling, tumbling in the violent / stillness...