Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Evening Concert, Sainte-Chapelle" by John Updike captures a profound moment of art—both visual and musical—converging within the historic walls of the famed Gothic chapel. This poem not only depicts the interaction between the audience and the performance but also explores how different forms of beauty can influence and transform each other.

The poem opens with a vivid description of the chapel's "celebrated windows flamed with light" at sunset, with the light pouring in across the Seine, setting a dramatic and almost divine stage for the evening's concert. This initial image of vibrant light and color flooding through the stained glass sets a tone of awe and grandeur, creating a visual feast that preludes the auditory experience.

As the audience settles, the performance begins with the strains of Vivaldi and Brahms, composers known for their emotive power and dynamic contrasts. Updike skillfully uses the music’s impact on the chapel’s windows as a metaphor for the transformative power of art. He describes the music as if it were physically interacting with the light of the windows, "seemed to suck with their passionate sweetness, bit by bit, the vigor from the red, the blazing blue." Here, the music does not just fill the space but seems to draw the life from the colors themselves, changing the way the audience perceives the stained glass.

The description progresses to where the "listening eye saw suddenly the thick black lines," focusing attention on the structural elements of the stained glass—its "shield and cross and strut and brace." These elements, which physically hold the glass and its narratives together, come to the forefront as the colors dim, suggesting that the structure of the chapel itself is being revealed by the music. This interplay suggests a shifting of perception from the heavenly and transcendent to the earthly and material, from divine light to human craftsmanship.

As the music surges, the light transforms into "a milk, a whisper to the eye, a glimmer ebbed." The ephemeral nature of music begins to mirror the fading light, underscoring the transient beauty of the moment. The metaphor of the heartbeats and violins "cased in thin but solid sheets of lead" poignantly concludes the poem, encapsulating the weight and impact of the experience. This image conveys how deeply the music affects the listeners, encapsulating and shielding their emotional response, perhaps suggesting how profound art can fortify and protect the soul.

"Evening Concert, Sainte-Chapelle" is a lyrical exploration of how art in various forms not only coexists but also interacts to deepen our appreciation of beauty. Updike masterfully weaves together the visual splendor of Sainte-Chapelle’s windows with the auditory beauty of the music, creating a layered narrative about the interplay of light, color, sound, and emotion. This poem invites readers to consider how different art forms affect perceptions and emotions, highlighting the profound impacts that such experiences can have on an individual’s inner life.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...