Beethoven by Koyczan – Reasoning (20+ Questions)

Complete the following sentences by providing a brief reason. Do not write the question.

1. The opening word "Listen" is powerful because __________

2. Beethoven's father abused him because __________

3. Beethoven's deafness paradoxically strengthened his genius because __________

4. Beethoven cut the legs off his piano because __________

5. The deaf have an "intimacy with silence" because __________

6. When the orchestra mocks Beethoven with silent playing, it becomes "perfect" because __________

7. Beethoven bows only to music and not to kings or queens because __________

8. His music is described as an "addiction" because __________

9. The musicians initially cannot determine if Beethoven is mad or genius because __________

10. His music uses cosmic imagery of comets and constellations because __________

11. The repetition of "Not good enough" traumatizes the poem's narrative because __________

12. Silence becomes a creative space for Beethoven because __________

13. Beethoven's music invades listeners' bodies "like an Armada" because __________

14. The poem emphasizes that we should "simply listen" rather than read biography because __________

15. Beethoven's suffering is transformed into artistic brilliance because __________

16. The poem is a spoken-word piece rather than written poetry because __________

17. True understanding of Beethoven transcends physical hearing because __________

18. Distance and limitation become "illusions" in the context of his genius because __________

19. Joy becomes "a tangible thing" through Beethoven's music because __________

20. Madness and genius are said to be closely aligned in Beethoven's case because __________

21. The poem ultimately celebrates resilience and transformation because __________

Answer Key

i) It commands readers to emotionally engage, establishing the poem's focus on intuitive understanding rather than intellectual analysis.

ii) He sought to force his son into genius through harsh discipline, driven by ambition and unrealistic expectations of perfection.

iii) Inability to hear physical sound forced Beethoven to rely entirely on his imagination and internal musical vision.

iv) To reduce distance between his body and vibrations, enabling him to "feel" music through the floor instead of hearing it.

v) Silence is constantly present in their experience, even invading their dreams, creating unique understanding of soundlessness.

vi) Beethoven, with his intimate relationship with silence, recognizes the mocking silent performance as genuinely perfect and meaningful.

vii) Music represents something higher and more worthy than earthly power; he dedicates himself exclusively to artistic excellence.

viii) His music creates powerful compulsion in listeners, making them physically and emotionally crave repeated experiences of it.

ix) His eccentric methods and unconventional approaches blur the line between brilliant innovation and possible insanity.

x) His genius transcends earthly bounds, reaching cosmic scales suggesting his imagination expands beyond physical reality.