Thursday, August 1, 2019
Analysis of Marrysong Dennis Scott Essay
Then Scott having to ââ¬Ëchartââ¬â¢ ââ¬â suggesting the creation of a map in order to discover his wife, this emphasises the exploration of this ââ¬Ënew-found-landââ¬â¢. The poem suggests an unsure attitude, as we see in the first line, ââ¬Ëyear after yearââ¬â¢ we donââ¬â¢t know whether this suggest a long, drawn out relationship that could become dull, or whether this means he is happy, and the year after year suggests commitment. Time takes a prominent role in the poem, with what is described as ââ¬Ëyear after yearââ¬â¢ is then shortened to passing ââ¬Ëseasonsââ¬â¢ then shrunk still to an ââ¬Ëhourââ¬â¢ until the shifting of moods becomes sudden, ââ¬Ësuddenly she would changeââ¬â¢. This suggests confusion within the relationship for Scott, as the changing of her attitudes becomes unexplainable and undetectable. This unpredictability leads us to the point of the heavy use of ââ¬Ëenjambmentââ¬â¢ in the first five lines, painting a vivid picture of uncertainty for Scott; conversely, as the poem progresses, we see a much more structured approach. On the contrary, the poem as a whole is generally lacking in structure. The constant use of caesurae, which breaks lines using pauses, denoted by commas and full stops. Also, the stutter of ââ¬Ë[a]ll, allââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ disrupts the flow of the poem much like the punctuation mentioned. This disruptiveness also contributes to the uncertainty of Scott within the marriage. However, as we approach the concluding lines of the poem Scott evokes a discovery of certainty. He says ââ¬Ëaccepting her geographyââ¬â¢ and stating that he ââ¬Ëwonderedââ¬â¢ which maybe suggests that he has no need to wander anymore. This final couplet also features a rhyming final two lines, which suggests stability and an atmosphere of certainty. The oxymoronic use of ââ¬Ëjaunty helpless journeyââ¬â¢ suggest that Scott is at his loverââ¬â¢s mercy; this is significant, as the whole poem conveys the idea that the woman dominates the relationship, and that Scott is exploring her and trying to figure her out. At the beginning of the poem we see that Scott says that she is under control by saying ââ¬Ëunder his eyeââ¬â¢, this oxymoron features near to the end of the poem and, with numerous time frames being described in the lines between these two phrases, seems to suggest that after all this time he still has not been able to work her out or even gain control of their relationship. Conversely, this contrasts with the following two lines in which Scott is stated to have figured her out ââ¬Ëfind his way among the landscapes of her mindââ¬â¢. The fourth line, ââ¬Ëin the walled anger of her quarried hurtââ¬â¢ takes a prominent role within the poem. The use of ââ¬Ëwalledââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëquarriedââ¬â¢ suggests an inescapable ââ¬Ëterritoryââ¬â¢ into which Scott seems to be stuck. ââ¬ËQuarriedââ¬â¢ also suggests that Scott is trying to unearth her personality, with ââ¬Ëwalledââ¬â¢ being the defensive behavior with which he does this. Love is a dangerous unreliable territory seems to be one of the main themes evoked by the poem. We see that Scott is continuously trying to gain power in the relationship. This seems to be unobtainable throughout the poem, however the title in itself reveals a childlike innocence about Scott; ââ¬ËMarrysongââ¬â¢ isnââ¬â¢t really a word, and sounds like a word a child would make up. It also evokes the bewildering nature of love and the complexity of marriage. Ovid: Ars Amatoria 1. 469-78 states that ââ¬Ëdura tamen saxaââ¬â¢ (nonetheless, hard rocks) ââ¬Ëmolii cavantur aquaââ¬â¢ (are hollowed out by soft water). At one stage of the poem Scott states that one can see ââ¬Ëcool water laughing where the day before there were stones in her voiceââ¬â¢ ââ¬â Scott maybe saying that the water hollowed out the rocks and overcame the rocks to make way for love. Furthermore, in relation to territory, Ovid states that ââ¬Ëcapta vides Pergama sero capita tamenââ¬â¢ (You can see that Troy was captured after a long delay, but she was captured in the end) relating to Scott claiming that his loverââ¬â¢s logic is like a territory needing to be explored, and the references of time relate to Ovid stating that Troy was captured ââ¬Ëafter a whileââ¬â¢.
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