Marrysong

1. Marrysong By: Cheryll & Caitlin 

2. Dennis Scott • 16 December 1939 – 21 February 1991 • A Jamaican poet, playwright, actor & dancer. • Was also a theatre director & drama teacher. • Born in Kingston, Jamaica. • Attended Jamaica College & was a head boy. • Was further educated at the University of the West Indies, Mona • He was also taught in Jamaica (Presentation College) and at Yale University in the USA. • Scott taught at Yale School of Drama.

3. Wind brought him rain sometimes, tasting of sea- And suddenly she would change the shape of shores. Faultlessly calm. All, all was each day new; The shadows of her love shortened or grew. Like trees seen from an unexpected hill, New country at each jaunty helpless journey. So he accepted that geography, constantly strange. Wondered. Stayed home increasingly to find His way among the landscapes of her mind. He never learned her, quite. Year after year. That territory, without seasons, shifted. Under his eye. An hour he could be lost. In the walled anger of her quarried hurt. On turning, see cool water laughing where. The say before there were stones in her voice. He charted. She made wilderness again. Roads disappeared. The map was never true. Wind brought him rain sometimes, tasting of sea-

4. Marrysong • The poem Marrysong by Dennis Scott is about the poet’s wife’s mood swings. • It portrays how he tries to understand her different feelings throughout their relationship. • It also shows how he makes the effort to try to find a pattern in her different moods.

5. Tone • Dennis Scott expresses his frustration and confusion towards his wife’s random outbursts. • This poem also shows how he expresses how challenged he is in this relationship as he tries to understand his wife.

6. Structure, Rhythm & Imagery • The poem consists of 17 lines. • The rhyme scheme is a-b-c-d-e-f-g-h-i-j-k-k-l-m-n-o-o. This shows that sometimes their relationship has its ups and downs because of their differences & the inconsistency of the rhyme scheme relates a lot to their relationship. It shows that it is chaotic. • In lines 11 and 12, the words ‘new’ and ‘grew’ rhyme and also in lines 16 and 17, the words ‘find’ and ‘mind’. • The last 2 lines that rhyme gives us readers the sense that there is reconciliation in his decision to accept his wife for who she is.

7. Structure, Rhythm & Imagery • Dennis Scott uses extended metaphor in the whole poem to relate to his wife’s mood swings. • He uses an extended metaphor which is related to nature. • Using nature would allow readers to be able to understand him better as we all experienced and know nature ourselves.

8. In lines 1 & 2, Dennis Scott wrote that he did not understand her and was lost. It states “that territory, without seasons, shifted” – When the landscape keeps changing, one is lost in understanding of it’s seasons. ‘It’ refers to his wife in these contacts. This metaphor vividly describes to us that he was not able to understand his wife. • Lines 3 & 4 also support the fact that he was lost in understanding his wife. It states that “he could be lost in the walled anger of her quarried hurt…” This means that his wife created a “wall” which is a barrier in their relationship, a barrier of their communication with one another in this relationship. This also shows that she bottled up her anger & she the word “quarried” gives us readers a sense that she has deep hurt. • In lines 7 & 8, it shows how he makes the effort that “he charted” down his wife’s emotions. But his effort was in vain as “she made wilderness again” which meant that he couldn’t find a pattern in her emotions. The uses of short sentences such as “Roads disappeared. The map was never true.” shows that he is frustrated. As when anyone is frustrated, we tend to use short sentences to express our irritation or anger.

9. In lines 11, 12 &13 Dennis Scott compares his wife’s amount of love for him to “trees seen from an unexpected hill”. This simile helps us as readers to visualize the ever changing depth of his wife’s love for him. Sometimes it’s more, or at times it’s less just like the shadows of trees that change throughout the day depending on the sunlight to determine it’s length. • In line 14, he expresses that sometimes he is lost and helpless, like as if he is living in a foreign country. As when someone is in a new country of a new environment, one usually is not familiar with his or her surroundings and tends to feel lost. At times, he would be happy and jaunty and sometimes sad. • In lines 15, 16 & 17, these shows that he accepts her personality and who she is.