So I played through most of the endings the last few days and love the poems that Alt decides to recite depending on who gets V to Mikoshi:
If V goes with the Aldecaldos or the Don’t Fear the Reaper ending:
“Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:
Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent
To lead you to an overwhelming question
Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”
Let us go and make our visit.”
-T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
If Johnny pairs up with Rogue:
Once out of nature I shall never take
My bodily form from any natural thing,
But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make
Of hammered gold and gold enamelling
To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;
Or set upon a golden bough to sing
To lords and ladies of Byzantium
Of what is past, or passing, or to come.
-William Butler Yeats, Sailing to Byzantium
I love that both poems address the thoughts V or Johnny might be having as they enter Mikoshi, especially considering that Alt can automatically read their thoughts.
From V’s perspective - being plagued by indecision and a preoccupation to do the right thing. This comes up in the conversation with Johnny and Alt in which they ask for a “a happier resolution for all parties involved”. If you want to read into this “indecision” a little further, this could also be referencing V’s feelings towards Johnny, having grown from initially despising him to then regarding him as their best friend (and possible romantic interest). The poem (later) addresses a disconnect between the speaker and appearance, similar to how V is both V and Johnny Silverhand. If you play the Hanako ending, Johnny confirms that the line between V and Silverhand “blurred long ago”.
For Johnny - it’s a little easier of a read. Assuming that you’ve built up a relationship with him, he isn’t plagued by indecision like V. He recognizes that he is out of place, out of his time, and will no longer be weighed down by the natural world. He goes into Mikoshi with every intention of upholding his side of the bargain and returning V to their body. It’s such a stark contrast from earlier in the game when he proclaims, “Do whatever it takes to stop ‘em, defeat ‘em, gut ‘em. If I need your body, I’ll fuckin’ take it.” It’s a true testament to the profound effect that V has had on him.
To me, the line “of what is past, or passing, or to come”, implies that Johnny’s journey and significance isn’t quite done yet, no matter which ending you choose. “Byzantium” (or beyond the Blackwall) is a place devoid of time and free from physical limitations.
I’m not sure if the recitation of the poems are affected by your relationship with Johnny (and obviously who ends up taking the body is up to you), but definitely some interesting literary choices.
