Poetic Voice Examination for Pound's "The River Merchant's Wife: A Letter"
Poetic Voice Examination for Pound’s “The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter”
“The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter” exemplifies the differentiation between the poet and the speaker. Li Po and Ezra Pound, take on a persona of a river merchant’s wife, awaiting the return of her husband. Furthermore, the use of imagery makes for a very visual read. The clever way in which this poem was written grants readers the opportunity to experience what it is to be “The River Merchant’s Wife”.
I found this method of writing effective, as it allowed me to see what the speaker was feeling. I emphasized with the speaker, and enjoyed learning of the evolution of her and her husbands love. The lines in the first stanza centre around her experience as a newlywed: “Lowering my head, I looked at the wall/ Called to a thousand times, I never looked back.” (9-10). I could imagine her, a terrified and shy young bride, cowering in fear and uncertainty. My connection with her intensified, as she grows more comfortable: “At fifteen I stopped scowling”(11). The choice of words in this line indicates a sort of playfulness about her, stemming from her self-awareness. The imagery continues, as does the love between her and her husband. The last stanza presents the image of her waiting for her husband, and willing to go to any lengths to see him: “And I will come to meet you/As far a Cho-fu-sa.”(28-29). As a reader, I was easily taken into her world; I could easily picture and believe her progression from a scared young bride to a loving and nostalgic wife.
The strength of the poem stems from the speaker’s clear, and uninhibited voice. Po chose the river-merchant’s wife to be the voice of this poem, as it allows readers a direct view into her life. Had the poem been written from any other point of view, I believe the tenderness and honesty would be lost. “The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter” is a gripping portal into the world of the speaker.
Works Cited:
"Ezra Pound." Poets.org. Academy
“The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter” exemplifies the differentiation between the poet and the speaker. Li Po and Ezra Pound, take on a persona of a river merchant’s wife, awaiting the return of her husband. Furthermore, the use of imagery makes for a very visual read. The clever way in which this poem was written grants readers the opportunity to experience what it is to be “The River Merchant’s Wife”.
I found this method of writing effective, as it allowed me to see what the speaker was feeling. I emphasized with the speaker, and enjoyed learning of the evolution of her and her husbands love. The lines in the first stanza centre around her experience as a newlywed: “Lowering my head, I looked at the wall/ Called to a thousand times, I never looked back.” (9-10). I could imagine her, a terrified and shy young bride, cowering in fear and uncertainty. My connection with her intensified, as she grows more comfortable: “At fifteen I stopped scowling”(11). The choice of words in this line indicates a sort of playfulness about her, stemming from her self-awareness. The imagery continues, as does the love between her and her husband. The last stanza presents the image of her waiting for her husband, and willing to go to any lengths to see him: “And I will come to meet you/As far a Cho-fu-sa.”(28-29). As a reader, I was easily taken into her world; I could easily picture and believe her progression from a scared young bride to a loving and nostalgic wife.
The strength of the poem stems from the speaker’s clear, and uninhibited voice. Po chose the river-merchant’s wife to be the voice of this poem, as it allows readers a direct view into her life. Had the poem been written from any other point of view, I believe the tenderness and honesty would be lost. “The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter” is a gripping portal into the world of the speaker.
Works Cited:
"Ezra Pound." Poets.org. Academy
Cited: "Ezra Pound." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets.. Web. 30 Sep 2013. . Gracie, Carrie. "Li Bai and Du Fu: China 's drunken superstar poets." BBC News [Beijing] 10 10 2012, n. pag. Web. 30 Sep. 2013. . "Li Bai." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 30 Sep. 2013. .