Marrysong, by Dennis Scott

He never learned her, quite. Year after year

That territory, without seasons, shifted

under his eye. An hour he could be lost

in the walled anger of her quarried hurt

on turning, see cool water laughing where

the day before there were stones in her voice.

He charted. She made wilderness again.

Roads disappeared. The map was never true.

Wind brought him rain sometimes, tasting of sea -

and suddenly she would change the shape of shores

faultlessly calm. All, all was each day new;

the shadows of her love shortened or grew

like trees seen from an unexpected hill,

new country at each jaunty helpless journey.

So he accepted that geography, constantly strange.

Wondered. Stayed home increasingly to find

his way among the landscapes of her mind.

Story

The speaker of this person is an anonymous third person, but it is about the relationship between a man and a woman, and how it changes and develops over time as they go through life, get to know each other better, and yet still find the other one strange and mysterious.

Tone

This has a varied tone, but overall it is reflective. It gradually becomes more excited and lively as it goes on, reflecting their relationship becoming both more interesting and more tempestuous over time. The last three lines are much quieter and more conclusive, however, and give a sense of resolution.

Deeper Meanings

The poet is showing how love is like a journey, and is getting the idea across that love is full of ups and downs, not always perfect, and not necessarily leading to people understanding each other. However, this changing and this mysterious element to it make it exciting, as well as dangerous. It suggests that ultimately the most exciting adventures people have are those that take place in the heart, not in the wild outside world.

Structure and Form

The poet has structured the poem to get across the idea of surprises and changes, which is shown by the placement of punctuation in the middle of lines, enjambment, very short sentences, and the shift between regular meter/ rhythm, and irregular/more jumpy meter and rhythm.

The poem is basically in iambic pentameter and without the last 3 lines is a sonnet of sorts; perhaps this reflects the idea of the poet looking at something which is both unfamiliar and familiar; taking the familiar sonnet form and changing it, as the love he describes keeps shifting between familiar and unknown.

Prominent Words

learned her’ – the idea that he is studying her, she is complex ‘accepted’ – by the end of the poem he has found some resolution ‘constantly strange’ – always difficult to understand/ unfamiliar ‘on turning’/ ‘suddenly’ – how quickly their relationship changes                                                                                                   ‘cool water’ – her voice is refreshing, almost thirst quenching for him

Imagery & Symbolism

Journeys and exploration: the centre metaphor in this poem is the idea that love is like a journey through wilderness: this highlights how love is dangerous, exciting, unknown, everchanging etc. Mapping: ‘territory’, ‘charted’, ‘map’ How people try to understand and categorise their feelings Nature/ time: the sea, days, wind, hours, years: these are images which show love to be powerful but ever changing.

Pain/ difficulty: ‘stones’, ‘anger’: how love is not just the ‘good times’

Sound

The iambic pentameter creates a certain liveliness in the poem, to reflect the excitement of the ‘journey’ he describes. There is little alliteration or rhyme, perhaps reflecting the ever changing and unpredictable nature of the relationship being described. There is some subtle sibilance, however, for example ‘suddenly she would change the shape of shores’, which adds a calmness to the atmosphere of the poem.