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An in-depth analysis of R.S. Thomas' poem Marriage
A synopsis and analysis of the poem Marriage by R.S. Thomas, including the full text of the poem
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A Brief Synopsis of 'Marriage' by R.S. ThomasR. S. Thomas’s poem ‘A Marriage’ is in essence 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 notion of brevity and sparsity. This in turn
reflects the theme of the poem, namely that as a result of the shortness of life, the time within
which we have to love is constricted by the fleeting nature of our time on earth.
These ideas are conveyed to us in a very gentle way, even the reference to death in the final
lines is put to us in a very delicate way. The delicate tone of the poem gives it a melancholic
feeling and also a sense of being resigned 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. R.S. Thomas uses 'bird' imagery
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. 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 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 language of the poem is generally simple and 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
elements of the diction 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 the notion of
forgiveness and absolution of sin in death. And therefore 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 R.S.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 life is over very quickly. The shortness of both the words
and the line combine to reflect time passing quickly. The use of enjambment where the words
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