The Circle of Life By: Elton John

Jessica Alleyne
Mr. Parry
English 4
04/08

The Circle of Life
By: Elton John

Life is an incredible journey filled with twists and turns, but everything seems to always come together in a circle. The song “Circle of Life” by Elton John talks about this concept. In this analysis, I’m going to discuss occasion, diction, and imagery.


The occasion of this song is actually for the soundtrack of the soundtrack of a movie named “The Lion King”. This movie is about a family of lions who, through all of the trials and hardships, landed on their feet. The song and movie talks about how everything starts off small and goes through difficult times, but at the end of it all everything happens the way it should. Songs and movies such as this one reminds people that even though times get hard, everything eventually connects and comes together.


The diction in this song is one of description. The words used in this song are meant to give you a picture of your life in a tangible sense. For example, the speaker relates life to a “…wheel of fortune” in line 10. Most people know what a wheel of fortune looks like, and what it is. Comparing life to a wheel of fortune, the speaker is saying that life has its good points and also its bad points. Also, in line 14, they say that life is a “…path unwinding”. The speaker is basically saying that life is like a path, and you never know what you will find at each turn. When living life, one basically is gambling, hoping that each situation turns out for the better, or at least not the worst.


The imagery in this song is good. It really helps you actually see life in a way that you wouldn’t normally look at it. For example, in line 7, the speaker compares life’s journey to a “…stampede”. We wouldn’t normally look at life as a stampede, but this metaphor makes sense. Life is like a race to get from point A to point B, and, in essence, everyone is just rushing to die. A stampede is pretty much the same thing, only it usually is used to describe the movement of animals. Another example of this sort of imagery is found in line 9, when he says “…the circle of life”. In saying this, he is basically saying that life is like a circle in this metaphor. You are born and get older and have a family, and everything connects.


The journey of life is an incredible adventure, with many ups and downs. One never knows what will happen from one moment to the next. One can make plans, but in reality, the outcome of tomorrow can never be accurately determined. The title The Circle of Life helps the audience realize that life is very much like a circle. You are born and, once you get older, you have children of your own. The human race is continually multiplying and flowing together. Everything is connected and comes together, just like a circle.