Little Green song analysis

                Colin Feeney

                                                                                                            11/4/11

                                                                                                            Class-G

Little Green

            In “Little Green”, Joni Mitchell’s use of illustrated imagery, phenomenal characterization, and repetition of personification are all displayed in this song to show how Mitchell shifts from her mother to father and how she feels bad for giving her child up for adoption, but knows it was the right choice. “You’re sad and you’re sorry, but you’re not ashamed.”

            Joni Mitchell displays a positive and negative artistic imagery. She displays this illustrated imagery in order to show how happiness “like the nights when the Northern lights perform.” She puts this quote to show the happiness she feels when the Northern lights do perform. Also, she shows some lack of happiness as well. She writes about how everything won’t always happen the way you want it to “and sometimes there’ll be sorrow.” Mitchell displays a good artistic imagery in the song “Little Green”

            Mitchell shows her great characterization to her daughter and uses it perfectly. “Little Green, be a gypsy dancer.” She is saying this about her child because she wants her to do what she wants and maybe her child wanted to be dancer when she was little. Mitchell also shows great characteristics to her child “Little Green, he’s a non-conformer.” She wants her daughter to realize what life’s about and do it the way she wants.

            Mitchell also repeats personification in this song. She uses it in this song to describe how “her eyes are blue.”  There are also some other examples in this song about it as well. Mitchell got a letter telling her that her Childs eyes were blue. Personification is a literary device that is used in lots of songs. Even different types of music, it is everywhere. It is also in poems and the way people talk as well.

            Mitchell uses all of these devices in her song “Little Green” and she uses them really well. She didn’t want to give up her child but she knew she had to do it. She didn’t have that much money and wasn’t happy either. Those two things do not go along together that much. “I was dirt poop. An unhappy mother does not raise a happy child.” That quote right there explains all of it. She knew if she put her child up for adoption she would have a happier life. Mitchell wanted he child to grow up doing what she wanted and not what other people would tell her. This was a pretty good song and when I found out Mitchell and her daughter reunited 30 years later it made me really happy.