Marrysong by Dennis Scott Poem Analysis (Essay Sample)

In the poem, “Marrysong” by Dennis Scott, the use of imagery, tone, and diction helps reveal the speaker’s attitude towards the theme of nature. The poem consists of a sort of complex tone and the use of strong diction. The speaker associates the ever-changing natural environment with the adventure of exploring and trying to understand his lover’s personality, something constantly changing and requires effort and time. The poet uses many examples of imagery and diction to express his feelings and thoughts.

The poem starts off with a man describing his marriage with his lover by saying “He never learned her, quite…Year after year that territory, without seasons, shifted under his eye.” (Scott 1-3). This phrase is suggesting that marriage and our relationships aren’t as ideal as we may imagine it is. It also creates the idea that the speaker is unable to understand his lover and believes his marriage is always changing, complicated, and unpredictable. The tone in this phrase suggests that the speaker is struggling through the hardship of his marriage. One use of imagery that conveys his attitude towards the theme of nature is when he describes the terrain, “The map was never true. Wind brought him rain sometimes, tasting on the sea — and suddenly she would change the shape of the shores faultlessly calm.” (Scott 8-10) and “All, all was each day new; the shadows or her love shortened or grew like trees seen from an unexpected hill, new country at each jaunty helpless journey.” (Scott 11-14). The imagery of “Wind brought him rain sometimes, tasting of the sea.” Creates an image that relates to the gloom side of marriage, a storm that you have to fight through in order for your relationship to thrive. Scott’s use of imagery reveals his thoughts about the correlation between nature and marriage. He portrays marriage life as an adventure that isn’t always smooth and easy.

The diction and imagery used by the poet in this poem help reveal his attitude towards the theme of nature. The poem says “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.” (Scott 3-7). The diction used in these lines creates a chaotic image. The speaker is trying to create a map of his lover’s moods, trying to find a pattern so he can understand her, but her emotions are constantly fluctuating. Some days she’d be angry (“lost in the walled anger of her quarried hurt..”), and others joyful (“cool water laughing”). The speaker invests time and effort into his relationship with his wife. The poet picks at all the different bits of marriage, the good and the bad, by comparing it to the complexity of nature.