Death Quote by James Joyce
““Sniffer of carrion, premature gravedigger, seeker of the nest of evil in the bosom of a good word, you, who sleep at our vigil and fast for our feast, you with your dislocated reason, have cutely foretold, a jophet in your own absence, by blind poring upon your many scalds and burns and blisters, impetiginous sore and pustules, by the auspices of that raven cloud, your shade, and by the auguries of rooks in parlament, death with every disaster, the dynamatisation of colleagues, the reducing of records to ashes, the levelling of all customs by blazes, the return of a lot of sweetempered gunpowdered didst unto dudst but it never stphruck your mudhead's obtundity (O hell, here comes our funeral! O pest, I'll miss the post!) that the more carrots you chop, the more turnips you slit, the more murphies you peel, the more onions you cry over, the more bullbeef you butch, the more mutton you crackerhack, the more potherbs you pound, the fiercer the fire and the longer your spoon and the harder you gruel with more grease to your elbow the merrier fumes your new Irish stew.””
About This Quote
The passage satates chaotic, dark imagery to critique destructive forces and absurdities in society.
In simple terms: It paints a vivid, unsettling picture of societal decay.
Beware hidden corruption.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- political commentary
- art criticism
- literary analysis
- media literacy
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the chaotic language reveal about the author's view of society?
- How does humor affect the impact of criticism?
The dense style may obscure meaning for readers.