Free Custom «Love and Marriage» Essay Paper

Love and marriage is kept in force by the perceptions each party holds towards the other. These two poems are used to make a clear distinction between how different people view the presence of the other in a relationship. We have two writers (males) representing their own opinions towards what they see in their lovers.

“My Mistress’ Eye” by William Shakespeare

This poem is used to describe the goodness of the features that he sees in his princess. This sonnet is usually considered as a parody of humor. In the poem, the author uses some stylistic devices that express frankness and simplicity. The aspect of comparison brings out the simple message that the dark beautiful woman cannot be equated to the prettiness of a goddess, or anything found in nature, because she is but a mortal creature. In contrast, Shakespeare does not attempt to praise the dark lady, but he shuns it directly. We can see this in line 11 to 12. There are quite a number of ways that we can use to describe how the poet interpreted his psychological state. This is what may have influenced the word diction and the stylistic devices we find in it. He describes her as mortal but never imagines losing her (Shakespeare 45).

 

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“Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

In contrast to the Shakespeare’s poem, this poem has the author concentrating on the incompleteness of his lover. This birthmark is seen as the source of misunderstanding between the two couples until the husband devises a way to get rid of it (the birthmark). The result is that he loses the wife as he tries to remove the birthmark, when she cries on her deathbed. The poet concludes to tell us that she died because she could not live a perfect life as all human beings are not perfect. But he is jeered at by his friends for losing a beautiful wife. Here, the poet is seen as a sadist and a source of disgrace in their marriage. He does not envy the beauty of his lover. He wishes that the birthmark is removed for her to live better, but she dies in the process of making it better (Hawthorne 34).

In conclusion, having gone through the two poems, it is evident that Shakespeare is very romantic and regards his love better than even the goddesses. This is contrary to Hawthorne, whose wife has a birthmark, which makes their relationship look stale and in the efforts to make it better the worse happens.