'The River Merchant's Wife: A Letter'

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In the poem “The River Merchant’s Wife: A Letter” Ezra Pound describes Li T’ai Po’s growing love for her husband. Pound impacts the meaning of the poem through his choice of structure and imagery.
In stanza 1, the author establishes the presence of I and you and how Li and her lover knew each other in their childhood. Li states “I played about the front gate, pulling flowers. You came by on bamboo stilts playing horse” which means that she noticed her loverplaying while she was picking flowers. She also says “And we went on living in the village of Chokan” which shows that Li and her loved one lived near each other in their early years. Lastly Li says “Two small people, without dislike or suspicion” which allows us to determine that Li felt …show more content…

On line 19 it states “You dragged your feet when you went out”. This leaves the reader to imagine that Li’s husband doesn't want to leave. In addition to this on line 3 it's said that “You came by on bamboo stilts, playing horse: You walked about my seat, playing with blue plums”. This shows repetition because it shows Li following her lover’s movements while using “you came” or “you walked”. Lastly on line 12 Li said “I desired my dust to be mingled with yours” which means that she only wants to be with her beloved.
After stanza 3, the story shifts from a love story to a separation between two lovers. Their love is shown on lines 12 and 13 when Li states “I desired my dust to be mingled with yours Forever and forever and forever”. This shows Li’s eternal love for her husband. On line 15 it says “At sixteen you departed” which implies that Li and her husband had been separated due to personal reason. The meaning of the poem is that a woman shows a growing love for her husband and this is shown in line 29 when Li says “And I will come out to meet you” which means she is willing to travel a vast distance to see her loved

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