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Dennis Scott

Marrysong Victoria Sargent

Marrysong – Dennis Scott

He never learned her, quite. Year after yearThat territory, without seasons, shiftedunder his eye. An hour he could be lostin the walled anger of her quarried hurton turning, see cool water laughing wherethe day 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 -and suddenly she would change the shape of shoresfaultlessly calm. All, all was each day new;the shadows of her love shortened or grewlike 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 findhis way among the landscapes of her mind.

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Pick as many words from the poem which you can fit into the two columns below:

Serenity Troubled

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What do you think these words and phrases are referring to?

“that territory, without seasons”

“the walled anger of her quarried hurt”

“cool water laughing”

“stones in her voice”

“She made wilderness again”

“Wind brought him rain sometimes, tasting of sea”

“suddenly she would change the shape of shores faultlessly calm.”

“the shadows of her love shortened or grew.”

What language/imagery does the poet use to describe the

relationship he has with his wife?

Themes

• Love and relationships (marriage)

•The entire poem shows the similarities between marriage and nature and no two days are ever the same as his wife’s moods constantly changes.

• The poet refers to marriage as a ‘territory, without seasons’. This shows that the wife’s behaviour is very unpredictable. She maybe sweet one day and she maybe very violent the other.

•This unpredictability is emphasized further in the next four lines as the poet shows the man could be lost as to the reason why she was angry with him, but then suddenly she would be very content like ‘cool water laughing’.

Tone• The over all tone is touching and sensitive.

• The poet has written the poem in past tense because he is recalling his experiences with his wife who is a stormy and temperamental woman who is compares to “territory.”

• The use of the past tense emphasises the idea that their marriage was overall a difficult and unhappy experience where no real progress or mutual understanding was achieved. “He charted”

“Roads disappeared.” “The map was never true” “jaunty helpless journey”

• The poet embarks on his journey to try and figure out how to improve his marriage as loves her sincerely. Eventually he gives up hope and realizes that it was a hopeless endeavor to try and understand her mind which changes every day. Finally he decides to take her for who she is without questioning it.

• “stayed home increasingly to find his way among the landscapes of her mind.”

Extended Metaphor

• The poem is an extended metaphor of the idea of his wife being like “territory” and land.

• He explored her and tried to “map” her so that he could understand and predict her but he fails to do so.

Structure and Rhyme

• The structure is one long stanza. • The poet uses enjambment to add to the feeling of

uncertainty as well as use of short sentences which adds sharpness to his feelings.

• There is no regular rhyme pattern which also emphasizes the poet’s feelings and emotions as well as the temperamental behaviour of his wife.

• The two sets of rhyming couplets towards the end of the poem and the last two final lines give a sense of closure and reflects the poet’s acceptance to the nature of his marriage.

Poet’s Message• Marrysong shows the ugly and beautiful sides of a marriage. Dennis Scott

has tried to tell us that we should not lose hope even if we can’t understand our own wife or anyone of our loved ones for that matter. Despite unpredictable behaviour or difficulties we should always see the bright side of all the problems.

• The poem is touching as he tried so hard to try and understand his wife, in order to improve their marriage and relationship. Marriage like all relationships can have their bright points as well as their down sides.

Dennis Scott was a Jamaican poet, playwright, actor (best known for appearances in the Cosby Show) and dancer. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Scott was educated at the University of the West Indies and taught in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and at Yale University in the United States. Scott was one of the most significant poets writing in the early post-independence period in Jamaica, and his first published collection, Uncle Time, is marked by an effective literary use of the vernacular. He was also a successful playwright, theatre director and drama teacher. Scott was an original member of the national Dance Theatre Company founded by Rex Nettleford in the 1960’s. He died in 1991 in New Haven, Connecticut.

Dennis Scott – 1939-1991

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Plenary

Victoria Sargent

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