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FROM THE DEAD, JAMES JOYCE

(a) Consider the use of snow as a motif in this passage.


(b) Discuss the use and effect of diction (choice of words) on the rhythm and mood of the passage.
"A few light taps upon the pane made him turn to the window. It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes,
silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes,
the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the
treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon
waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly
drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned
slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon
all the living and the dead."

Personification
gives human
qualities to
inanimate
objects = snow
taps made
character turn,
like snow would
want to attract
his attention

loaded diction = repetition =


falling emphasis on
omnipresence

FROM THE DEAD, JAMES JOYCE


"A few light taps upon the pane made him turn to the window. It had
begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark,
falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set
out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was
general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central
plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther

Imagery = our
senses of sight,
touch, and hearing
to perceive the snow

anaphora: It was falling ... It


was falling Michael lay ... it
lay = create rhythm and
cadence in passage

westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was
falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where

description includes concrete


detail where light from
(lamplight) adjectives,(treeless)
place names (Bog of Allen),
direction BUT also abstract
westward = direction where sun
goes down= toward darkness and
death fight between natural
elements (soft snow vs mutinous
waves

Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and
last end = end of
Earth living and
the dead = Post
apocalyptic view
of snow falling on
desolate earth

headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul
swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe

falling softly / softly falling falling faintly /faintly falling


= alliteration and chiasmus

and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and
the dead."

Churchyard, crosses, headstones =


cemetery = evocative of death of
humanity character accepts his
own mortality
crooked crosses = alliteration
emphasizes abandon

simile : like the


descent of their last
end = descent of men
( living and the dead =
they ) = Post
apocalyptic view of
snow falling on
desolate earth

physical and emotional


transformation:
character falls asleep
(watched sleepily =
mesmerised by snow)
and overwhelmed (soul
swooned slowly)

two things happening


at the same time: snow
slowly falling and
character slowly moved
emotionally (his soul)

the character sees and


hears this snow fallingas if
it were death itself dropping
all our swooning souls into
little coffins all over the
memory-dotted landscape
of the country he is sick to
death of and wants to leave

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