James Joyce
One of the most influential and innovative writers of the 20th century, James
Joyce was the author of the short story collection Dubliners. Joyce’s novels, with their innovative language, use of dialogue, characteristic modernist forms, and social frankness, met with resistance when they first appeared in print. (http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/james-joyce)
Joyce was the author of the short story collection Dubliners. Joyce’s novels, with their innovative language, use of dialogue, characteristic modernist forms, and social frankness, met with resistance when they first appeared in print. (http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/james-joyce)
Analysis
a woman who is sad mourns for the dead by singing "sad songs about the end of love". poet is telling her instead of being sad that it is over and they are dead. she should be happy it happened and "how in the grave all love shall sleep".
Devices
"Lay aside sadness and sing"
By using personification, she is giving sadness the trait of laying as if it were person. Someone can't actually lay aside sadness but only stop feeling and thinking about it by replacing it with a better feeling.
"Sing about the long deep sleep of lovers that are dead, and how in the grave all love shall sleep"
Instead of saying the dead are lifeless, motionless, or without their soul and spirit, it is said that they are just in a long deep sleep in an act of using a nicer term known euphemism.
By using personification, she is giving sadness the trait of laying as if it were person. Someone can't actually lay aside sadness but only stop feeling and thinking about it by replacing it with a better feeling.
"Sing about the long deep sleep of lovers that are dead, and how in the grave all love shall sleep"
Instead of saying the dead are lifeless, motionless, or without their soul and spirit, it is said that they are just in a long deep sleep in an act of using a nicer term known euphemism.