Summary Of Conjoined By Judith Minty

The Imagery in “Conjoined”
Poets use imagery to capture the emotion and feeling in the poem in which they are writing. Judith Minty, in her poem “Conjoined,” uses imagery to truly depict the meaning and emphasis of that work. Through the images that Minty paints in the minds of her readers, the essence of the poem is revealed. One can strongly see and feel the emotion that this poem possesses. The images are distinct and bold, and through the first, second, and third stanza, the images can be easily seen and identified. The poem “Conjoined” is not a pleasant poem, but it speaks of great truth for the situation in which it describes. Minty’s poem begins with a small, yet important, subtitle; “a marriage poem.” This subtitle begins the imagery
The first image of the second stanza is of a “two-headed calf rooted in one body” (lines 5-6). This deformed calf paints a perfect picture of the marriage these two people share. Each head of the calf fights with its counterpart to be able to obtain milk from its mother. This image also represents the marriage that these two spouses have for one another. The calf itself represents the marriage, and the two heads of that calf are the partners within that marriage. This image is perfect because it shows that even though the two partners are joined together through marriage, their union is so incredibly loveless, that each companion must fight to sustain life. The second image that Minty uses in her second stanza is of the illustrious Siamese twins, “Chang and Eng” (line 7). This image is another perfect example of the anguish these two people share while combined in this marriage. Using these twins as an image for an anguished marriage, one can easily see the stress and grief that these two companions are experiencing. The joining of the twins “at the chest by skin and muscle” (line 8), is another image and representation of the marriage between the two partners. Minty goes on to say that the Siamese twins were not born together, but the two of them were “doomed to live, even make love, together for sixty years” (lines 8-9). This image alone shows that these two
The first image in the third and final stanza speaks once again of a skin that keeps the couple bound together. This image references one of the first images that Minty used in the beginning of her poem. This skin is a representation and image of the marriage that the couple shares. The next image that Minty uses is the strongest image the poem has to offer. “To sever the muscle could free one, but might kill the other” (lines 12-13). This image sends chills down the spine when it is read and for the first time in this poem, death becomes a prominent role. Having the muscle play the image of the marriage shows the strength and power that a marriage has over two people. When that “muscle” that joins these two companions is cut or severed, only one will be able to walk away from that situation alive, leaving the other dead. Minty uses this image to show the magnitude of the situation at hand. Having death and murder play a role in this poem, truly shows the anguish and pain that this spouse is experiencing. Minty moves from this image of death to the image of an actual man and wife. “Ah, but men don’t slice onions in the kitchen, seldom see what is invisible” (lines 13-15). These lines paint a deliberate picture of men in relationships. Minty says that men seldom see the underlying factors as they rarely see what is below the surface. In this instance, the speaker of the