Irreconcilable Differences

Marriage is a word that instills a different meaning in every person that hears it. Some people think of the religious meaning, two people joined together in the eyes of God. Others don't involve a god into their union and see it as a union between two people. Occasionally people don't take marriage seriously and just consider it the next step after dating. Whatever the opinion, every person, whether married or single, has his or her own opinion of what a marriage is and what it entails. William Shakespeare, Judith Minty, and Linda Patsan all have their own ideas on marriage. In "Sonnet 116", "Conjoined", and "Marks," each express strong opinions on marriage. William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 116: Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds" states that true love is flawless and marriage that comes from that love is pure. Judith Minty's "Conjoined" maintains that marriage is unnatural and therefore restricts both person involved in it physically, spiritually, and emotionally. "Marks" by Linda Patsan supports that idea that marriage and motherhood are both hard work and deserve constant encouragement and appreciation instead of disapproval. The use of imagery, poetic devices, and diction depicts the authors' point in a powerful but still beautiful way.

William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 116: Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds" represents an idealistic portrayal of marriage. The poem asserts that true love that ends in marriage is flawless. There is no hindering love in its purest form. The first line of the poem is an allusion to "The Order of Solemnization of Matrimony" from the Anglican Church's Book of Common Prayer. The book states: "I require that if either of you know of any impediment why ye may not be lawfull...

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...ed with the institution of marriage. The speaker of "Marks" is fed up with her everyday life and cannot continue to live with constant criticism; however, she doesn't believe that marriage is unnatural and oppressive. She is ready to make a change, no matter how small that change may be. Although all three poems share a common topic the themes couldn't be less similar. The experience and attitudes of each speaker influences their opinions and shape their ideas on marriage. There can be no reconciling of the three viewpoints as each is determined by personal experience and lifestyle. Each person experiences love in different ways. Some end up in loveless marriages with no way out while others feel trapped in the duties of housewife and mother. Whatever the case, no opinion can change another person's marriage or opinions of marriage as each are unique unions.