Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin Dance
me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Oh let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dr. Cecilia Osyanju
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 1 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin"
.
The "burning violin" is a powerful metaphor. The violin, often
associated with beauty and elegance, is "burning," suggesting
intense passion and possibly destruction. This juxtaposition of
beauty and fire indicates a love that is both consuming and
enchanting.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 1 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in"
This line speaks to seeking comfort and solace in a loved one
during times of fear and anxiety. The dance becomes a means
of moving through distress and finding safety in the embrace of
love.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 1 Line by Line Analysis
"Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove"
The olive branch is a symbol of peace, while the dove symbolizes
love and hope. This line combines these symbols, suggesting a
desire for peace and a safe return to love and harmony.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 1 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me to the end of love"
This refrain emphasizes the theme of enduring love, a journey
that continues until the very end, be it the end of life or the end of
time.
"Dance me to the end of love"
Repetition reinforces the central theme and the intensity of the plea for
enduring love.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 2 Line by Line Analysis
"Oh let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone"
This line suggests a desire for intimacy and genuine connection
away from the eyes of others. It implies seeing the true,
unadorned beauty of a partner.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 2 Line by Line Analysis
"Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon"
Babylon historically represents opulence and sometimes
decadence. This line might suggest a desire to experience an
exotic, passionate, and perhaps forbidden love.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 2 Line by Line Analysis
"Show me slowly what I only know the limits of"
The speaker seeks a deeper understanding and experience of
love, wanting to move beyond superficial knowledge to a more
profound connection.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 2 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me to the end of love"
The refrain repeats, underscoring the ongoing theme of a
journey to the end of love.
"Dance me to the end of love"
Continued repetition reinforces the song's main motif.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 3 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on"
The wedding symbolizes a beginning of a new phase of life, while
"dance me on and on" suggests a desire for love to continue
indefinitely.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 3 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long"
Tenderness and duration are key here, indicating a wish for a
gentle and lasting love.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 3 Line by Line Analysis
"We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above"
This line reflects the idea that love can elevate and humble at
the same time. It suggests a mutual vulnerability and strength
within the relationship.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 3 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me to the end of love"
The refrain reaffirms the song's central theme.
"Dance me to the end of love"
Repetition emphasizes the continuity and persistence of love.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 4 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me to the children who are asking to be born"
This line introduces the theme of procreation and legacy,
suggesting a forward-looking aspect of love that encompasses
future generations.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 4 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have
outworn"
Curtains symbolize barriers or stages of life. This line speaks to
moving through different phases of a relationship, even as
passion evolves over time.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 4 Line by Line Analysis
"Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn"
A tent symbolizes a temporary, yet intimate, shelter. Despite its
fragility ("every thread is torn"), it still provides protection and
closeness.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 4 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me to the end of love"
The refrain once again underscores the enduring nature of the
journey.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 5 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin"
Repeated from the first verse, this line reiterates the intense and
passionate nature of the love described.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 5 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in"
This line also repeats, emphasizing the need for love as a refuge
from fear and anxiety.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 5 Line by Line Analysis
"Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your
glove"
The contrast between a "naked hand" and a "glove" symbolizes
different forms of intimacy, either direct and raw or more formal
and distant.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 5 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me to the end of love"
The refrain highlights the continuous and unending nature of the
journey of love.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 5 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me to the end of love"
The final repetition of this line emphasizes the permanence and
depth of the speaker's plea.
Dance Me to the End of Love
1984 song by Leonard Cohen
Verse 5 Line by Line Analysis
"Dance me to the end of love"
The song closes with this repeated line, leaving the listener with a
sense of continuity and an unending journey.
What is Symbolism?
Symbolism is a literary device that involves using symbols, whether
they are words, characters, objects, or other elements, to represent
ideas beyond their literal meaning.
These symbols often carry deeper significance and can convey
complex concepts, emotions, or themes within a work of literature.
Understanding forms of Symbolism
People
Individuals who embody abstract
concepts.
Objects
Physical items can carry symbolic
meaning.
E.g. A rose symbolising love or
romance.
E.g. A conflicted character
representing the struggle
between good and evil.
Colours
Colours can represent various
emotions or ideas.
E.g. Red can symbolise passion or
danger.
Understanding forms of Symbolism
Events or rituals can carry
symbolic significance.
Animals often represent
specific traits or qualities.
E.g. A physical journey can
symbolise personal growth.
E.g. A fox could represent
cunning or cleverness.
The choice of setting can
symbolise different aspects
of the narrative.
E.g. A dark and foreboding
forest may symbolise
danger or the unknown.
CURTAINS
TENT OF SHELTER
Represents the fragility and impermanence of
love and life. The tattered, torn threads of the
tent mirror the fragility of human connection
in the face of mortality.
The "curtains" that the couple's kisses have
"outworn"** symbolize the passage of time and
the stages of their relationship. The curtains
have not lasted as long as the enduring passion
of their kisses.
Symbolism in Dance Me to
the End of Love
DANCE
• The cyclical nature of life and
relationships
• Spiritual transcendence
• Emotional intensity
• Universality of the human
experience
BURNING VIOLIN
Represents the intensity of passion and
desire, as well as the dramatic, almost
frenzied quality of the dance.
It also alludes to the song's dark origins
in the Holocaust, where orchestras
were forced to play while prisoners
were sent to their deaths in Nazi death
camps
OLIVE BRANCH &
HOMEWARD DOVE
symbolises peace, shelter, and the
safe haven the lover seeks in his
partner's embrace. These images
evoke the spiritual and emotional
sanctuary found in love.
What is a ‘theme’?
A theme is a big idea or
message that is explored
throughout a story.
Common Themes in The Poem
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•
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Dance me to the end of love" is a call to engage fully with life's
experiences, suggesting that love, like dance, thrives on exploration
and new experiences. This echoes the importance of stepping out
and trying new things to grow and evolve.