Symbol Analysis
Joy is just awesome, according to this poem's speaker—not that anyone's prepared to argue with him on that score. Still, he really wants us to appreciate just how awesome it is, which is why he spends so much time talking about the "sweet," melodic sounds that joy makes possible. In other words, joy is symbolically sending us good vibrations. Being happy is like having our own private DJ in our head, spinning the best tunes for us to get down to.
- Lines 57-58: Just as joy sends forth light from the soul, it also sends forth "sweet sounds." Joy is a full-on sensory experience.
- Lines 59-60: In these lines, joy is described as the "strong music" of the soul. "Strong" here describes that impact of happiness can have on someone.
- Line 71: It's not just music. Joy is also a "sweet voice" to go along with the melody—best concert ever.
- Line 74: Just like all colors in the world stem from joy, so do all melodies. It's a good thing we have it, then. Otherwise, life would be one long black-and-white scream fest.