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Revision Notes on "A MARRIAGE" by R.S. Thomas GCSE ENLGISH LITERATURE
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Revision notes on "A Marriage" GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE
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An Analysis of 'A Marriage' by R.S. ThomasR. S. Thomas’s poem ‘A Marriage’ is the poet's statement on some basic human
preoccupations: specifically, time, love and death. It is a poem of short lines and of few words.
The skeletal form of the poem itself echoes the concept of brevity and sparsity thereby
reflecting the theme of the poem, namely that the time within which we have to love is
constricted by the fleeting nature of our time on earth. Many of the Elsi poems share the
relatively narrow, skinny form of ‘A Marriage’. This is in marked contrast to the formal
conventions of elegy which tends to pose the expansiveness of its own form and its intricate
internal patterning against the stark fact of loss and the cut thread of life. Thomas’s forms are
stark and skeletal and do not promise comfort. This poem does however, whilst not comforting
in its essence, have a positive message as it tells of how true love can endure through the
decades of our lives.
These ideas are conveyed to us in a very gentle way, even the reference to death in the final
lines is gentle. This delicate tone gives a melancholic feeling and also a sense of resignation to
the course of events. There is no anger, no fight, no resistance. The poem ‘A Marriage’ is not
just simply an elegy for the poet's wife Elsi; it is a poem that depicts the shared experiences of
the poet and his wife – their shared an avid interest in birds. It is therefore a poem about a
shared life. Bird imagery is used throughout. Such imagery recalls his wife's love of birds which
she painted throughout her life but this association with nature also serves to elevate their
relationships to the realms of the purity and the honesty of nature. Possibly the most striking
thing about ‘A Marriage’, is this bird imagery used to describe the elegised subject . To liken
someone to a bird is to evoke lightness and smallness but perhaps also a quick flitting from one
thing to another. It might also evoke a small, song-like voice. The use of avian imagery reflects
the couple's mutual interest in birds which is used by R.S. Thomas as a symbol of their union
and of their marriage. The imagery of meeting under a ‘shower’ of birdsong perhaps implies
that the poet sees the world of birds as a 'gift' to him and his wife. The word 'shower' is
sometimes used in the sense of 'to give' when we say that someone is 'showered with gifts'.
The poem has a conversational tone, giving the initial impression that the message is just simply
of the poet's grief at his loss. However, there are certain words that have a complexity and
depth to them. An illustration of this is the word ‘servitude’. 'Servitude' is not a word used in
day -to- day conversation - 'servitude' has connotations of imprisonment and captivation and
conveys the fact that we are imprisoned by time. The passing of time is beyond our control. A
further example of vocabulary that is complex is the use of the word ‘grace’, R. S. Thomas was a
vicar and this word has a deeper meaning in a theological context than it has in its day- to -day
use. It conveys forgiveness and absolution of sin in death. It also has the meaning of ‘prayer’
, telling us perhaps with this word that his wife had led a religious life. The phrase "a bird’s
grace" on the face of it makes us think of an elegant and graceful bird but on a deeper level
Thomas is exploring the meaning of human existence and is referring to the idea of salvation
following our death.
The poet cleverly echoes how quickly time passes in the line ' Fifty years passed'. This line of
three monosyllabic words reflects how brief life is. The use of enjambment where the words
flow into the next line mirrors the passing of time. In using this poetic technique throughout the
poem, the lines flowing seamlessly on to one another, Thomas echoes the swift and seamless
passing of the years. The poet then progresses to say that half a century is nothing more than a
moment in which love has existed and that love is fleeting but not because it doesn't endure or
because it fades away - it is simply because life itself is short.
The poem progresses to explore the same ideas through different imagery; he describes how in
the moment of a kiss his wife is transformed from youth to old age. Although this is an
unpleasant image the poet manages to convey how it is lamentable rather than unappealing.
The image that he creates again emphasises the brevity of our time on earth. The only word in
the poem that refers to his wife's ageing is "wrinkles" and it is as if it has come from nowhere
as there are no other words introduced that connote physical ageing so as to gradually prepare
us for this stark image of old age. This sudden introduction of the word "wrinkles" conveys the
'suddenness' of the passing of time. There is also a bluntness to the word 'wrinkles'; it conveys
a harsh reality of the consequences of the passage of time and this is the embodiment of the
theme of the poem. Life, love and time are short. This is a blunt truth in the same way as
'wrinkles' are a blunt truth. Wrinkles are a universal trait of age. They are a fact of life in the
same way as death is a fact of life and are as inevitable as the passing of time, the end of life
and the loss of love that results from this.
The poet then introduces the idea of a dance of death: a person’s last dance. His dying wife is
dancing with death itself. This is a pleasant and gentle image. Depicting the moment of death as
an invitation to dance embellishes it and eradicates all the dark connotations of death. It
becomes the rightful conclusion to a beautiful life. There is a welcoming softness conveyed by
the word "Come"; nonetheless it is an imperative. The use of the imperative leaves no scope
for choice or negotiation and this conveys once again the poet's acceptance of the inevitability
of death. He has no resistance to it, only a deep accepting sadness. It is the natural course of
things and the invitation to "Come" shows that death is part of God's plan and that as a
Christian the poet has a respect for it as being the natural course in the great scheme of things.
He does not fight against death. This can be contrasted to Dylan Thomas’ poem “Do Not Go
Gentle Into That Good Night” wherein he implores his dying farther to “fight” against death.
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