Text of Poem
Lovers
when they marry face
Eternity with touching grace
Complacent at being fated
Never to be separated.
I went through this believing all,
Our love denied the Primal fall
Wordless, we walked among the trees
And felt immortal as the breeze.
However many times we come
Apart, we come together. The same
Thing over and over again
Then suddenly the mark of Cain
Begin to show on her and me.
Why should I ruin the mystery
By harping on the suffering rest,
Myself a frequent wedding guest.
Summary of the Poem:
Stanza.1:
Explanatory Word-Meanings:
Eternity = being eternal, infinite time, future life. Touching = pathetic, moving, over sensitive. Grace = charm, honour. Complacent = self satisfied
Paraphrase:
When lovers get married, they feel highly delighted. They feel their happiness, charm and honour will remain forever. They are self satisfied at being wedded and think now they will never be separated.
Stanza.2:
The bride is always pretty, the groom
A lucky man. The darkened room
Roars out the joy of flesh and blood.
The use of nakedness is good.
Explanatory Word-Meanings:
Pretty = beautiful. Groom = bridegroom. Roars = loud sounds. Flesh and blood = sexual pleasure.
Paraphrase:
After marriage, a bride always looks charming and the bridegroom is considered a lucky fellow for having married a charming bride. They remain in the dark room and their shouts of joy which they feel in sexual activity may be heard out of the room. The nakedness does not offend them, it looks good.
Stanza.3:
Explanatory Word-Meanings:
Primal = primeval, fundamental. Breeze = slow and gentle air.
Paraphrase:
The poet believed all that is said about the married life and he went through it. He was so much in love with his beloved that he denied that it was due to Adam's love for Eve that Adam was thrown out from heaven. He and his beloved walked through the trees without speaking any word and they felt immortal like breeze. They thought that their love and passion for each other will remain same.
Stanza.4:
Explanatory Word-Meanings:
The mark of Cain = the sign of dispute. Harp on = dwell tediously on a subject.
Paraphrase:
Then their relationship began to deteriorate. Sometimes they were seen together and sometimes they were seen apart. Then dispute became common between them and they remained tense. The poet does not want to dwell on the subject of suffering that man undergoes after marriage. Now he frequently goes to attend weddings only to see how long their love and passion remain young for each other.
A Critical Appreciation of the Poem 'Marriage':
Introduction:
The poem 'Marriage' was published in 1959 in the third volume of Ezekiel's poetic collection. The poems in this collection show Ezekiel as a poet of human relationship. Nissim is interested in his poem noting down the complexities of modern life. In Marriage the poet notes down the feeling of a newly wedded couple. They feel delighted on being wedded and think that they will never be separated from each other. The bride always look beautiful and the bridegroom a lucky fellow. The newly wedded couple like to be locked in the arms of each other for it is the best and the most delightful thing for them. The poet believed all this and in the company of his beloved or wife, he too felt immortal as the breeze. But then their arise differences between them. This is what generally happens between husband and wife. With the passage of time, relationship deteriorates and love vanishes. Hence, the poet is merely a frequently wedding guest. He abstains himself from getting married.
Importance of Marriage in Social Concept:
'Marriage' is considered essential in our social set up. Married people are regarded as gentlemen and married life is considered a pleasant life. The newly wedded couples begin their life happily. They think that there love will always remain firm and constant and they will never cease to love one another. The newly wedded brides are appreciated for their beauty and bridegrooms are considered lucky for having married beautiful brides. For sometimes, they remain locked together in the arms of one another. The married couples derive the greatest pleasure in sexual activity and nakedness is not considered obscene rather it is considered good.
But this blissful life does not last long. Soon, their passion for one another cools down. Love begins to vanish and disputes take place. Lovers begin to remain tense and both begin to curse their fate. This is what generally happens in our day to day life. Many of the marriages end in divorce, though in the beginning, the lovers give the impression that they would live and die together.
A Realistic Picture of Married Life:
As Ezekiel is a poet of human relationship, no aspect of human life escapes his attention. In this poem he has given a realistic picture of what we see in various families. Though the ideas expressed in the poem are not sublime, they are based on truth.
Autobiographical Elements:
The poet believed all that is said about the blessings of married life and he got married. He denied the fact that Adam was turned out of heaven because of Eve, he was so deep in love with his beloved. For some time, they passed a pleasant life. Then differences begin to arise but they were not so bitter. With the passage of time, their relationship deteriorated. They began to quarrel frequently and their life became miserable. Though the poet does not give any clear idea of what happened of his marriage, it seems that it ended in failure.
The Language of the Poem:
The language of the poem is easy and simple. The first line rhymes with the second line and the third line rhymes with the four. The message of the poem is that love is not constant and firm, human relationship is subject to change and decay. One has to adjust oneself with the changing condition of life. We should not expect too much from our partners. Otherwise we shall be disappointed.
