Shane Koyczan—one of Canada’s most evocative spoken-word poets—has a gift for illuminating the raw intersections of pain, passion, and brilliance. In his poem “Beethoven”, Koyczan retells the story of the legendary composer not just as a historical figure, but as a man forged in the fires of personal torment and relentless expectations.

The poem exposes how abuse, isolation, and the pursuit of perfection shaped a genius whose music could transform raw emotion into transcendent sound.

The Original Stanza

Below is the complete text of the poem “Beethoven” by Shane Koyczan. This unabridged stanza lets you experience Koyczan’s vivid imagery, rhythmic repetition, and searing honesty in one unified flow:

Listen.

His father made a habit out of hitting him.

See, some men drink, some men yell, some men hit their children.

This man did it all because I guess all men want their boys to be geniuses.

Beethoven.

Little boy living in a house where a name meant nothing.

Living in a house where mercy had to be earned through each perfect note tumbling

up through the roof to tickle the toes of angels who’s harps couldn’t hold

half the passion that was held in the hands of a young boy who was hard of hearing.

Beethoven.

Who heard his father’s anthem every time he put finger to ivory

it was not good enough.

So he played slowly.

Not good enough.

So he played softly.

Not good enough.

So he played strongly.

Not good enough.

And when he could play no more and his fingers cramped up like the gnarled roots

of tree trunks

it was NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Beethoven.

A musician without his most precious tool: his eardrums

could no longer pound out rhythms for the symphonies playing in his mind

He couldn’t hear the audience’s clapping

couldn’t hear the people loving him

couldn’t hear the women in the front row whispering

Beethoven

As they let the music invade their nervous system like an Armada

marching through firing canon balls detonating every molecule

in their body into explosions of heavenly sensation

Each note leaving track marks over every inch of that body

making them ache for

one

more

hit.

He was an addiction.

And Kings, Queens, it didn’t matter

The man got down on his knees for no one,

but amputated the legs of his piano

so he could feel the vibrations through the floor

The man got down on his knees for music.

And when the orchestra played his symphonies it was the echoes

of his father’s anthem repeating itself

like a broken record,

a broken record

It was not good enough.

So they played slowly.

Not good enough.

So they played softly.

Not good enough.

So they played strongly

NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

So they tried to mock the man, make fun of the madness

by mimicking the movements, holding their bows

a quarter of an inch above the strings not making a sound.

It was perfect.

You see the deaf have an intimacy with silence.

It’s there in their dreams.

And the musicians turn to one another not knowing

what to make of the man trying to calculate the distance

between madness and genius, realizing that Beethoven’s musical measurements

could take you the distances reaching past the Towers of Babylon,

turning solar systems into cymbals that crash together,

causing comets to collide, creating crescendos that were so loud

they shook the constellations until the stars began to fall from the sky

and it looked like the entire universe had begun to cry,

Distance must be an illusion.

The man MUST be a genius.

Beethoven.

His thoughts moving at the speed of sound.

Transforming emotion into music.

………….

And for a moment it was like joy was a tangible thing,

like you could touch it.

Like for the first time we could watch love and hate

dance together in a waltz of such precision and beauty

that we finally understood that history wasn’t important

To know the man

all we ever had to do was

Listen

Breaking Down the Poem

To understand the layered narrative of “Beethoven”, let’s trace its progression through a series of key moments:

1. Listen → A Call to Hear Beyond Words

Koyczan begins with a powerful imperative: “Listen.”

→ We’re urged to set aside preconceptions and hear the true story of Beethoven through his music.

2. Childhood Torment → The Roots of a Genius

He recounts how Beethoven’s father habitually beat him—a brutal attempt to forge genius.

→ The poem exposes a household where love was conditional, and perfection was demanded at the cost of tenderness.

3. Struggle for Perfection → The Never-Ending “Not Good Enough”

Every time Beethoven played, whether slowly, softly, or strongly, the verdict was the same: “Not good enough.”

→ This repetitive condemnation underscores the relentless pressure that haunted him, driving him to exhaust his very body in pursuit of musical excellence.

4. Loss and Isolation → A Musician’s Greatest Sacrifice

Beethoven, deprived of his most vital tool—his hearing—could no longer experience the world around him.

→ His isolation is palpable: he misses the clapping, the whispers of admiration, the love of an audience—yet his inner symphonies rage on.

5. Transcendence Through Music → A Divine Addiction

As his music invades the listener’s senses like an overwhelming Armada, each note becomes a hit, an addictive burst of emotion.

→ His compositions transcend physical limitations, transforming pain into ecstatic, all-encompassing beauty.

6. Mockery and Isolation → The Irony of Genius

Even as others try to mimic him or mock his idiosyncrasies, the mockery only highlights the gap between mundane imitation and true genius.

→ Their shallow imitations underscore the unique, almost otherworldly nature of his art.

7. The Universe in His Hands → The Pinnacle of Musical Power

Koyczan magnifies Beethoven’s impact by describing how his music could shatter solar systems and make stars fall from the sky.

→ Here, hyperbole elevates Beethoven’s creative force, suggesting that his work redefines the very fabric of existence.

8. Final Revelation → Listening is All That Matters

The poem concludes by inviting us to experience the tangible joy of Beethoven’s music—a union of love and hate dancing in a perfect, transcendent waltz.

→ In this moment, history and biography fall away, leaving only the raw, transformative power of sound. All we need to do is listen.

Themes and Insights

1. The Brutality Behind Brilliance:

Beethoven’s early life—marked by physical and emotional abuse—illustrates a harsh paradox: the creation of sublime art often emerges from profound suffering. Koyczan uses this irony to challenge our perceptions of genius.

2. The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection:

The recurring mantra of “Not good enough” reflects the crushing expectations placed upon Beethoven. This obsession with flawlessness both destroys and fuels him, a duality that resonates throughout the poem.

3. Transcendence Through Adversity:

Despite losing his hearing—arguably his most crucial sense for music—Beethoven transforms personal agony into compositions that move entire audiences. His inner world becomes a realm where sound, emotion, and the cosmos merge.

4. The Power of Listening:

Koyczan’s repeated call to “Listen” serves as a reminder that true understanding comes not from knowing a man’s biography, but from experiencing the essence of his art. In Beethoven’s case, his music is the most honest testament to his genius.

Final Thoughts

Shane Koyczan’s “Beethoven” is much more than a retelling of the composer’s life—it is an exploration of how pain, isolation, and relentless expectation can birth unparalleled beauty. Through stark imagery, rhythmic repetition, and a fearless confrontation of harsh truths, Koyczan compels us to look beyond the surface.

To truly know Beethoven—as a man, as a genius—one need not delve into history or biography. All that is required is to listen. In the interplay of silence and sound, of abuse and artistic triumph, we discover that genius is born from struggle, and that music, in its purest form, is an invitation to feel, to dream, and to transcend.

So, take a moment. Listen.