Anyone know title and poet?

do you mean by the sad sea waves?

Ulysses, by James Joyce:

[www.readbookonline.net]

Thank you for your reply. The phrase is actually "down by the side of the sad sea waves". It appears in a 1899 diary as, "I had to recire a piece of poetry. I gave the one that begins, Down by the side of the sad sea waves." The way the writer refers to the line implies that it was a common piece and everyone would recognize the beginning.

Thank you for your reply. The phrase is actually "down by the side of the sad sea waves". It appears in a 1899 diary as, "I had to recite a piece of poetry. I gave the one that begins, Down by the side of the sad sea waves." The way the writer refers to the line implies that it was a common piece and everyone would recognize the beginning.

There was an English opera called 'The Brides of Venice' which opened at Drury Lane Theatre in 1844, it contained a song called 'By the Sad Sea Waves'. This song was part of the repertoire of Jenny Lind, the 'Swedish Nightingale' during her hugely successful tour of the United States five or six years later. Mr Punch uses 'By the Sad Sea Waves' as the heading for three of his Victorian era cartoons in 'At The Seaside' and as Desi, above, points out James Joyce also uses this particular mournful collocation of words. Well I don't know if this is of any use but good luck!

Thank you. I have found the song by Jules Benedict, sung by Jenny Lind, and the Punch cartoon. Surely there is a link here somewhere. Ulysses was written after the date of the diary. But I do think I'm getting closer!