Editing Syrinx (section)

== Representations ==

=== In literature ===
The story became popular among artists and writers in the 19th century. Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a poem entitled "A Musical Instrument" describing Pan's ruinous actions in creating the musical pipes. The Victorian artist and poet [[Thomas Woolner]] wrote ''Silenus'', a long narrative poem about the myth, in which Syrinx becomes the lover of [[Silenus]], but drowns when she attempts to escape rape by Pan. As a result of the crime, Pan is transmuted into a demon figure and Silenus becomes a drunkard.<ref>Thomas Woolner, ''Silenus'', Macmillan, 1884.</ref> [[Amy Clampitt]]'s poem ''Syrinx'' refers to the myth by relating the whispering of the reeds to the difficulties of language.

[[File:Pan_Pursuing_Syrinx_LACMA_AC1992.225.2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|''Pan Pursuing Syrinx'' by Ignaz Elhafen, c. 1690–1695, LACMA.]]

The story was used as a central theme by Aifric Mac Aodha in her poetry collection ''Gabháil Syrinx''.

[[Samuel R. Delany]] features an instrument called a syrynx in his science-fiction novel [[Nova (novel)|''Nova'']].

Syrinx is the name of one of the main characters in [[the Night's Dawn Trilogy]] of [[space opera]] novels by British author [[Peter F. Hamilton]]. In the trilogy, Syrinx is a member of the transhumanist future society known as Edenism, and serves as the captain of the ''Oenone'', a living starship.

A 1972 poem by [[James Merrill]], titled "Syrinx", draws on several aspects on the mythological tale, with the poet himself identifying with the celebrated nymph, desiring to become not just a "reed" but a "thinking reed" (in contrast to a "thinking stone", as critic [[Helen Vendler]] has observed, noting the influence of a [[Wallace Stevens]] lyric, "Le Monocle de Mon Oncle").<ref name=Merrill/> The poet aspires to return to his "scarred case" with minimal suffering inflicted by "the great god Pain", a play of words on the Greek god [[Pan (god)|Pan]]. "Syrinx" is the final poem in Merrill's 1972 collection, ''[[Braving the Elements]]''.<ref name=Merrill>{{cite news|work=The New York Times|date=September 24, 1972|first=Helen|last=Vendler|access-date=March 25, 2017|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/01/03/04/specials/merrill-elements.html|title=New Merrill}}</ref>

=== In philosophy ===
In ''Dark Places of Wisdom'', Peter Kingsley discusses in some detail the use of the word in [[Parmenides]]' poem and in association with the ancient practice of incubation.<ref>pages 101-135, but especially pages 116ff on "The Sound of Piping". Also pages 3–5 of [https://www.peterkingsley.org/cw3/Admin/images/SpiritualTradition.pdf Excerpts from ''In the Dark Places of Wisdom and Reality'', by Peter Kingsley] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315101723/http://www.peterkingsley.org/cw3/Admin/images/SpiritualTradition.pdf |date=2015-03-15 }}</ref>

=== In art ===
[[File:Jean-François de Troy - Pan and Syrinx.jpg|thumb|''Pan and Syrinx'' by [[Jean-François de Troy]], 1722-1724]]
The British Victorian artist [[Arthur Hacker]] depicted Syrinx in his 1892 nude. This painting in oil on canvas is currently on display in [[Manchester Art Gallery]].

A sculpture of Syrinx created in 1925 by sculptor [[William McMillan (sculptor)|William McMillan]] is displayed at the [[Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum]] in Glasgow.

Sculptor [[Adolph Wolter]] was commissioned in 1973 to create a replacement for a stolen sculpture of [[Syrinx (sculpture)|Syrinx]] in [[Indianapolis]], United States. This work was a replacement for a similar statue by [[Myra Reynolds Richards]] that had been stolen. The sculpture sits in University Park located in the city's [[Indiana World War Memorial Plaza]].

[[Abraham Jannsens]] painted Syrinx in 1620 as part of "Pan and Syrinx".

=== In music ===
{{listen|filename=Debussy - Syrinx.ogg|title=Syrinx|description=[[Claude Debussy]]'s [[Syrinx (Debussy)|Syrinx]]. Performed by Sarah Bassingthwaighte|format=[[ogg]]}}

[[Claude Debussy]] based his 1913 [[Syrinx (Debussy)|''Syrinx'' (Debussy)]] on Pan's sadness over losing his love. The piece is still popular today; it was used as incidental music in the play ''Psyché'' by [[Gabriel Mourey]].<ref>James McCalla, ''Twentieth-century Chamber Music: Routledge Studies in Musical Genres'', Routledge, 2003, p.48</ref>

The story of [[Pan (god)|Pan]] and Syrinx is the inspiration for the first movement in [[Benjamin Britten]]'s work for solo oboe, [[Six Metamorphoses after Ovid]] first performed in 1951. Britten titled the movement, "Pan: who played upon the reed pipe which was Syrinx, his beloved."

[[Maurice Ravel]] incorporated the character of the Syrinx into his ballet ''[[Daphnis et Chloé]]''.

[[Gustav Holst]] alludes to the story of Pan and Syrinx in the opening of his [[Choral Symphony (Holst)|Choral Symphony]], which draws from the text of John Keats' 1818 poem "[[Endymion (poem)|Endymion]]."

French Baroque composer Michel Pignolet de Montéclair composed "Pan et Syrinx", a cantata for voice and ensemble (No. 4 of ''Second livre de cantates'').

Danish composer [[Carl Nielsen]] composed ''[[Pan and Syrinx]]'' (''Pan og Syrinx''), Op. 49, FS 87.

The British folk-rock band Oberon included a flute solo called "Syrinx" on its 1970 album, ''A Midsummer's Night Dream.''

[[Canadians|Canadian]] electronic [[progressive rock]] band [[Syrinx (band)|Syrinx]] took their name from the legend.

Canadian [[progressive rock]] band [[Rush (band)|Rush]] have a movement titled "The Temples of Syrinx" in their song "[[2112 (song)|2112]]" on their album ''[[2112 (album)|2112]]''. The song is about a [[dystopia]]n futuristic society in which the arts, particularly music, have been suppressed by the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx.

Related to the Rush reference, Maryland based rockers [[Clutch (band)|Clutch]] mention the Temples of Syrinx in their song "10001110101" from their album ''[[Robot Hive/Exodus]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pro-rock.com/index.cfm?page=discography&view=lyrics&albumid=14&lid=21|title = CLUTCH}}</ref>