The Violin

Abstract

The Violin Matthew Olzmann (bio) Upon hearing that Nero played the violinwhile Rome burned, I ask: When and howcould he have ever learned to play that instrument?It is, frankly, an astonishing feat, consideringthe amount of time he invested in ridingchariots, not governing, murdering his mother,yearning to be an actor, the Parthian war,a revolt in the new province of Britain,the annexation of the Bosporan Kingdom,midnight parties, building hotels, and so on.It's also impressive because the violindidn't exist and wouldn't be inventedfor another fifteen hundred years. That alonewould prevent lesser men from learningto coax a song from an instrument's fingerboardand bridge, but not Nero; he pressedhis nonexistent violin beneath his chinand made it wail above the ashes. Some menare just ahead of their times. That's why,whenever any modern Caesar says don't worryabout the plague roiling the streets, I don't.If he boasts about the health of the empire,I raise a glass to celebrate. If he suggests [End Page 290] an imaginary horde of barbarians has gatheredagainst us, I sharpen my gladius and rushto the border in the name of freedom.I've learned to recognize our most visionaryconcertmasters; I've trained myselfto embrace the ache of the bow as it moansacross the strings, and to finally appreciatehow every noise inside me is music. [End Page 291] Matthew Olzmann Matthew Olzmann is the author of Constellation Route as well as two previous collections of poetry: Mezzanines and Contradictions in the Design. He teaches at Dartmouth College and in the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. Copyright © 2022 The University of the South