"Let the song of the sea sway your heart..."
Song of the Sea - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
My son, remember me in your stories and in your songs. Know that I will always love you, always.
— Bronagh
Context:
This is part of a memory Bronagh shares with a young Ben before she disappears on the night Saoirse is born. It is the last piece of advice she gives him.
Meaning:
This quote, spoken by Ben's mother, establishes the central theme of memory and storytelling as a way to keep loved ones alive. It is the guiding principle that Ben must ultimately learn to embrace, shifting from hoarding his mother's memory to sharing it, especially with his sister.
Come away, O human child, to the waters and the wild, with a fairy, hand in hand, for the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.
— Bronagh
Context:
Bronagh recites the first part of the poem to a young Ben at the very beginning of the movie, foreshadowing the magical journey and the deep sense of sadness that permeates their world.
Meaning:
This line, from W.B. Yeats's poem "The Stolen Child," opens the film and sets a tone of melancholy magic. It speaks to the film's themes of loss and the existence of a magical world that coexists with human sorrow, suggesting that escaping into this other world is a response to the pain of the human one.
Her name's Saoirse.
— Ben
Context:
After escaping Macha's owls, the children find three faeries (the Daoine Sídhe) who are celebrating Saoirse's arrival. They ask for her name, and Ben steps forward to give it to them, just before the owls attack again and turn the faeries to stone.
Meaning:
For most of the film, Ben refuses to even properly acknowledge Saoirse. When the faeries ask for the selkie's name so they can sing of her, Ben's simple, declarative statement is a major turning point. It is the first time he acts as her protector and advocate, finally accepting her as his sister.