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Chamber Music

by James Joyce (1882–1941)

  • Free to read
  • 10 min read
  • 31 chapters
  • Reading level: 6th grade

"Chamber Music" by James Joyce is a collection of thirty-six love poems published in 1907. Originally comprising thirty-four poems, with two added before publication, this early work reveals Joyce as a lonely young man dreaming of love. The poems feature accessible lyricism that has inspired numerous musical adaptations by composers ranging from Samuel Barber to contemporary alternative artists. Though the collection sold poorly initially, it received critical praise for its delicate temperament and emotional craft, establishing Joyce's poetic voice before his groundbreaking prose works.

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  • Irish poetry

Read the opening

Chapter I

Strings in the earth and air
Make music sweet;
Strings by the river where
The willows meet.

There’s music along the river
For Love wanders there,
Pale flowers on his mantle,
Dark leaves on his hair.

All softly playing,
With head to the music bent,
And fingers straying
Upon an instrument.

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Contents

Show all 31 chapters
  1. Front Matter
  2. Chapter I
  3. Chapter II
  4. Chapter III
  5. Chapter IV
  6. Chapter V
  7. Chapter VI
  8. Chapter VII
  9. Chapter VIII
  10. Chapter IX
  11. Chapter X
  12. Chapter XI
  13. Chapter XII
  14. Chapter XIII
  15. Chapter XIV
  16. Chapter XV
  17. Chapter XVIII
  18. Chapter XX
  19. Chapter XXII
  20. Chapter XXIII
  21. Chapter XXIV
  22. Chapter XXV
  23. Chapter XXVI
  24. Chapter XXVII
  25. Chapter XXIX
  26. Chapter XXX
  27. Chapter XXXI
  28. Chapter XXXIII
  29. Chapter XXXIV
  30. Chapter XXXV
  31. Chapter XXXVI

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About this edition

This free edition of Chamber Music by James Joyce comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #2817, released 2001-09-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Poetry, British Literature.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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