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IV: Dawn (pp. 593–628)

Book IV—the final book—contains only one chapter: the ricorso, the return. Morning comes, ALP speaks her final monologue, and the book circles back to its beginning.

Quick Reference​

DetailInformation
Pages593–628
Vico AgeRicorso (Return/Renewal)
TimeDawn
SettingDublin awakening; river to sea
Main CharactersALP, Saint Kevin, HCE (sleeping)

Synopsis​

The Dawn Call (pp. 593–601)​

The chapter opens with a call for dawn—an SOS-like fanfare announcing the new day.

Saint Kevin (pp. 601–606)​

A vignette of Saint Kevin at Glendalough, practicing ascetic devotions.

Berkeley and Patrick (pp. 606–613)​

A philosophical dialogue involving Bishop Berkeley and Saint Patrick.

The Letter Revisited (pp. 613–619)​

Another version of ALP's letter.

ALP's Final Monologue (pp. 619–628)​

Anna Livia speaks her farewell. She tries to wake her sleeping husband, remembers their life together, and flows—as the Liffey—into the sea. The sentence breaks off, returning to page 3.

The Ricorso​

In Vico's cyclical theory, the ricorso is:

  • The dissolution of civilization
  • The return to origins
  • The transition to a new cycle
  • Both death and rebirth

Book IV embodies this transition: night becomes day, the river reaches the sea, the sentence returns to its beginning.

ALP's Final Monologue​

The book's most emotionally direct passage. ALP speaks as:

  • Wife to sleeping husband
  • River flowing to sea
  • Mother leaving children
  • Life force returning to source

Key Moments​

Trying to Wake HCE (p. 619) ALP calls to her sleeping husband, urging him to rise.

Memory (pp. 620–625) She remembers a walk they once took, hopes for its recurrence.

The Sea (pp. 625–628) As the Liffey, she approaches Dublin Bay and the Irish Sea.

The Break (p. 628) The sentence fragments: "A way a lone a last a loved a long the"—continuing on page 3.

The Circular Ending​

The book's famous structure:

Page 628 (end):

"A way a lone a last a loved a long the"

Page 3 (beginning):

"riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs."

Joyce confirmed: "The book ends in the middle of a sentence and begins in the middle of the same sentence."

Key Themes​

1. Cyclical Time​

History returns. The ricorso is both ending and beginning.

2. The Feminine Principle​

ALP has the final word—the river, the mother, the life force.

3. Mortality and Continuity​

ALP flows to the sea (death) but also returns as rain (rebirth).

4. Emotional Directness​

After 600+ pages of verbal play, Joyce returns to the emotional register of "The Dead"—now from a feminine perspective.

Notable Passages​

The Dawn Call (p. 593)​

The fanfare opening—like Beethoven's Fifth, fourth movement.

Saint Kevin (pp. 604–606)​

The saint's ascetic practices at Glendalough.

ALP's Farewell (pp. 627–628)​

Her final words before dissolution.

Characters in This Chapter​

CharacterAppears AsRole
ALPThe River Liffey / WifeFinal speaker
HCESleeping husbandSilent
Saint KevinHimselfAscetic vignette
Saint PatrickHimselfPhilosophical dialogue
Bishop BerkeleyHimselfPhilosophical dialogue

Connection to "The Dead"​

Joyce returns to the emotional power of his early masterpiece. Like Gabriel Conroy contemplating Gretta's past and the snow falling on Ireland, ALP contemplates her life and flows toward the sea.

But where Gabriel was a male observer, ALP speaks for herself—the feminine voice that has the last word.

The Most Accessible Section​

Many readers find Book IV the most emotionally accessible:

  • The language, while still Wakean, is more direct
  • ALP emerges as a sympathetic character
  • The themes of mortality and love are universal
  • The ending has genuine pathos

Audio Resources​

ResourceNotes
One Little GoatVideo with subtitles
Patrick Healy readingComplete audio
Waywords and MeansignsMusical settings
Joyce's ALP recordingFrom I.8, but essential context

Reading Tips​

  1. Feel the emotion — This is meant to move you
  2. Read the ending aloud — Then read page 3 immediately after
  3. Accept the pathos — ALP is saying goodbye
  4. Recognize the cycle — Ending is beginning is ending

Further Reading​

  • Campbell & Robinson, A Skeleton Key, Chapter 17 commentary
  • McHugh, Annotations to Finnegans Wake, pages 593–628
  • FWEET — Search "593.01" onward
  • "ALP's Final Monologue in Finnegans Wake" (academic paper)

After Finishing​

When you finish Book IV:

  1. Immediately read page 3 — Complete the sentence
  2. Consider rereading — The cycle invites it
  3. Listen to audio versions — ALP's monologue especially
  4. Join a reading group — Discuss what you've experienced

See Also​