Poem "Most Like an Arch This Marriage"

Categories: Poems

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In the poem 'Most Like an Arch This Marriage', the speaker compares an arch to the idea of marriage. Throughout the poem, the use of imagery and symbolism help demonstrate the connection between marriage and an arch. This poem depicts that, like an arch, marriage is held up by two people leaning on each other for support. Many problems and difficulties come in a marriage, but when two people become firm and trust in each other then the marriage will last.

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The speaker repeats the phrase 'most like an arch (Ciardi, lines 1 and 5), " at the beginning of the first two stanzas, to help remind the reader that the speaker is comparing the love and unity of two people to an arch.

In the first stanza, the speaker uses the picture of an arch supporting an entrance. The picture helps the reader visualize the start of a marriage because the way an arch supports itself is the same way a marriage is supported.

An arch is sturdy because of the mutual support of the two sides. In the first two lines, the speaker is talking about how life can crush a marriage and a good marriage is based on trusting each other to help against daily life. The speaker uses imagery here to help convey the idea of an arch to a marriage by saying a healthy marriage is built on trust. In the last two lines of this stanza, the poet writes 'mass made idea, and idea held in place. A lock in time.

Inside half-heaven unfolds.' I think the speaker is questioning whether people think marriage is sacred anymore since it has become such a 'mass made idea.' In line four, you can tell that the speaker respects the idea of marriage because there was a switch from an idea of a 'mass made idea' to a spiritual idea that 'half-heaven unfolds.' I think this shows that the speaker actually respects marriage and believes that it shouldn’t be a huge spectacle rather something special for the couple.

In the second stanza, the speaker is comparing marriage, and how a husband and wife come together with their weaknesses and an arch (Ciardi, line 5). The speaker uses an image of two pillars leaning on each to show that in order to have a strong marriage, two people must learn to lean on each other for support. A marriage needs to have the strength of two people coming together who are willing to protect each other and shelter each other, like an arch holds up a wall or a shelter. If one person puts more effort in than the other, then the structure of the marriage will no longer be able to hold just like an arch, if one side is holding more of the weight the arch will collapse. The imagery the speaker is using is a mental image of how an arch can withstand all the elements unless one of the sides is supporting more weight.

When the speaker says ' when two fallings become firm (Ciardi, line 6), ' the speaker is saying that many conflicts will be thrown at a marriage, but by leaning on each other and supporting each other the marriage will prevail. Line seven continues the idea from the beginning of the stanza that two people become one and line eight emphasizes the fact of labeling the marriage to ensure it lasts. This stanza shows that a marriage has to be two people who love each other and are willing to equally work together to support each other instead of not having a partner and living an unfulfilled life without someone to love.

In the third stanza, the speaker compares a married life to not being married. In line 9, the poet is saying that the quality of life without marriage is lessened. The next line 'what's strong and separate falters' is describing the amazing foundation that marriage has and how nothing is as strong. This line is also saying that everyone has their faults, but it is the love in the marriage that will help the couple prevail. In the next line, the speaker is piling stones on top of each other probably to show that marriage is a strong structure like an arch. The piling stones could also be a safe structure that the speaker is building within his marriage. As the stanza continues, 'all I do at piling stone on stone apart from you is roofless around nothing' you can tell the speaker doesn't want to be apart from his partner because his life is empty and meaningless without his spouse. The poet is also using imagery in this line by helping the reader build a vivid image of a strong structure not having a roof. The speaker is showing that without someone in your life that you love, then life isn't worth it.

In the last stanza, the speaker makes it personal. This stanza starts with 'Till we kiss' even though it was in the third stanza. The speaker says 'Till we kiss I am no more than upright and unset' meaning without the affection and love of the speaker's spouse, he isn't complete. This line helps show that the speaker feels he needs a spouse. The next lines say ' it is by falling in and in we make the all-bearing point, for one another's sake, ' so by loving someone wholeheartedly and trusting them is the only way the marriage will become a stable foundation. The stanza ends saying ' in faultless failing, raised by our own weight' coming back to the idea of an arch holding its weight. The poem relates marriage to an arch by using an arch as a symbol. The speaker uses the symbol to help create the idea that marriage is strong and withstand anything as long as the couple does it together. Throughout the poem, the author continuously reminds the reader that marriage is like an arch by using imagery to give specific ideas of how marriage is strong and two people depend on each other like an arch needs both sides to support it.