A scene from Married Life

In this poem, the persona (which could be Abse) has a fight with his wife and he describes what happens, how he and his wife feels and how they resolve their fights.

The persona describes fighting as something that just happens. Everything is normal until it does. The start of an argument is shown through “commuters trapped in their stuffy office” which could suggest that when fighting, the couple feel trapped since they are together but at a ‘rocky’ stage. The poem also suggest a sense of emptiness as they don’t have each other for a while when the persona states, “the Monday beach sullen, empty”. This shows that they feel as useless as a beach on a Monday and they feel just as the beach would.

The actual fight is depicted as a “squabble”. This is very colloquial which could show the type of lexis the couple would use at each other when insulting one another. The “fast barbed words” could suggest the feeling of being trapped once again with barbed wire. Making “the other squirm” which could show how insulting and harsh the words being thrown at each other can be. It is shown as a fight through “verbal revenge” which demonstrates that once one person says something, the other will seek revenge and say something back. The vengeance is described though nature – “a dead bird eaten by the early worm” which suggests that with every word the person says, it eats up the one insulted and upset with the other for saying it.

Tusker Rock (a rock in the middle of the Bristol Channel) could represent the fights in a marriage. It holds ghosts (which could represent fights from previous years) and “psychopomps (creatures that take the dead to their place) raised black fangs” could show that there is evil within fights. The rock had “torn asunder” boats which could represent that fights could tear couples apart.

The persona talks about the end of an argument. The persona sees his wife (“on a high cliff” which suggest that she is put on a pedestal) and then apologises (suggested through, “with surrendering waves I crawled to shore). Then he compares being in a fight with his wife and the cold war. This suggests that it was horrific and caused loss. The end of the poem is a positive light. With an “armistice” (peace treaty), they make up. The quote, “and then…” could suggest that after the fighting, they make up and have sex. This shows a real marriage and that fights happen but if the love is strong, the couple can make up.

 

This poem could be linked to Wild Oats, by Larkin. In Wild Oats, Larkin describes a relationship he has with “the girl in specs”. There is a difference – Larkin’s relationship doesn’t last because he desires the perfect woman (“the bosomy English rose”). Larkin doesn’t talk romantically about either of them, he talks about an ended relationship and his desire for perfect. However, Abse describes a long lasting marriage with a woman he loves. It is a real relationship with a real woman and has real feelings. We get a deeper insight to Abse’s life whilst Larkin is a closed book that no one knows much about.

The poem can also be linked to Talking in Bed. This poem describes a long lasting relationship and that they don’t need to talk to each other anymore. They know each other enough and have loved each other long enough to know that silence can say it all. This poem by Abse describes a long lasting relationship and demonstrates that although the couple fight, they still love each other and don’t need to feel threatened about arguments.