Most like an arch this marriage
A poem by John Ciardi a true testament to a matrimony. Shown through symbolical prism of architecture it depicts the way marriages work in most precise way. In sixteen lines, the author describes the theme so well, showing us his true mastery.
Looking closer at the technical aspect, the poem consists of four quatrains. Being the most widespread type of stanza, it underlines the traditional side of the theme discussed. The enclosed rhyme wraps the middle two lines between the first and the last, and rhyming them by pairs. This makes the reading not as fluent as if it were the alternate rhyme, however it has its positive sides – it slows the rhythm down, thus accentuating on the lines and their meaning. John Ciardi starts the first two stanzas with the same half line, which echoes with the title. It is a strong method to emphasize the main theme of the verse. The author also incorporates a question into the text “Not quite that?”, thus indirectly making the reader participate in the poem. Having read this question some people would find themselves nodding in agreeance. This is a wit way to interact with public.
When looking at the subject of the poem, it is hard not to notice the unusual approach to describe feeling of two lovers. From the very first stanza, John Ciardi sees marriage as an obligation set by society: “mass made idea”. However, it does not at all make him dislike it for this reason. On contrary, the last lines show that he finds it beautiful and worth following.
The second stanza opens with the idea that a marriage is made of two ordinary people with their own weaknesses that support each other, and how this support transforms them into one strong piece. It is a wonderful reflection of marriage. Passion and love eventually give way to respect and support and they make up the most of all unions. The second half of this stanza gives an even more heartwarming meaning to the living together. It describes how two absolute strangers - abeyances, gradually come to a common denominator. It describes how by sharing a life, people find out all the sides of their partner and decide to stay with them.
In the third stanza, the poet gives the readers an even more beautiful insight into a married life. He describes how love and relationship in marriage is built around nothing. Stone by stone, life event by life event, two strangers pile up moments that make them understand that they want to spend life together with this person.
The closing verse, John Ciardi, explains that marriage is a pig in a poke. Taken out of context a single person is just a person with its weaknesses and demons. However, when paired with the correct partner it all eventually starts to make sense. He means that it is by trial and error is how a union of two people works. It takes time and it takes work, and it is “by our own weight” is how we carry a marriage.
The overall tone and mood of the poem is philosophical, yet positive. It makes one reflect upon life choices. The use of symbolism transforms a cliché theme and general phrases into an “idea held in place”. The author used terms that do not fall into a clear image inside reader’s head. The poem creates rather an abstract vision of marriage. Although when understanding each use of metaphor, reader gets this “aah” feeling, because the phrases are explained in such a brilliant way. This is probably due to the fact that John Ciardi was a translator and a constant language explorer. His use of words is therefore very precise and actual. In sixteen lines, he manages to describe a whole world.
