Academic musings
A reflection on love and marriage for my "Passionate Expression" class. Enjoy!
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Emma McCandless
EN 429
Phyllis Mannocchi
March 10, 2004
Reflection #1
Our discussions in class this semester, as well as the works that we’ve been reading, have focused quite heavily on love that doesn’t necessarily involve marriage; in some cases, the works have even contrasted love with marriage, implying that the two are not and cannot be compatible with one another. Many of the love poems in our anthology deal with unrequited love, often addressing a female beloved who is already married to another man. The two operas we studied, La Boheme and Madama Butterfly, have both dealt with love outside of the traditional Western idea of marriage. And while Love Story does feature married lovers, their marriage is not by any stretch the most important part of their relationship; in fact, it does not even feel necessary to their love.
I think that this depiction of love in relation to marriage is largely inaccurate. I believe that love can and does exist within the structure and marriage. The act of marriage in itself is a public statement of love and commitment-a cry to the world that this love is real and lasting. Making such a statement, in my opinion, is one of the most moving and loving things that two people can do for and with each other.
Some of the works in our collection of love poetry-though we glossed briefly over most of them-demonstrate this notion that love and marriage can exist together, and that that coexistence can be a very beautiful and real thing. “The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter” reveals that love can blossom completely within the structure of a marriage. The poems of Anne Bradstreet and Elizabeth Barrett Browning offer extremely emotional, compelling and tender portraits of the love between two married people. And Judith Viorst’s contemporary poem “True Love” celebrates the ordinary, unglamorous-and infinitely more beautiful and real-aspects of married love.
It is true that love does not need marriage to validate it. However, it is just as true that marriage and love can be and often are very intricately intertwined. When that intertwining happens, particularly in love literature (which is rare), it is a beautiful, moving and lasting commentary on the nature of love. The blending of love and marriage-in life and in literature-offers the best kind of hope to the human spirit. It offers a hope that love can endure beyond anything-from fantastic trials and adventures to the common, and infinitely more beautiful and real, activities of every day life.
******
Emma McCandless
EN 429
Phyllis Mannocchi
March 10, 2004
Reflection #1
Our discussions in class this semester, as well as the works that we’ve been reading, have focused quite heavily on love that doesn’t necessarily involve marriage; in some cases, the works have even contrasted love with marriage, implying that the two are not and cannot be compatible with one another. Many of the love poems in our anthology deal with unrequited love, often addressing a female beloved who is already married to another man. The two operas we studied, La Boheme and Madama Butterfly, have both dealt with love outside of the traditional Western idea of marriage. And while Love Story does feature married lovers, their marriage is not by any stretch the most important part of their relationship; in fact, it does not even feel necessary to their love.
I think that this depiction of love in relation to marriage is largely inaccurate. I believe that love can and does exist within the structure and marriage. The act of marriage in itself is a public statement of love and commitment-a cry to the world that this love is real and lasting. Making such a statement, in my opinion, is one of the most moving and loving things that two people can do for and with each other.
Some of the works in our collection of love poetry-though we glossed briefly over most of them-demonstrate this notion that love and marriage can exist together, and that that coexistence can be a very beautiful and real thing. “The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter” reveals that love can blossom completely within the structure of a marriage. The poems of Anne Bradstreet and Elizabeth Barrett Browning offer extremely emotional, compelling and tender portraits of the love between two married people. And Judith Viorst’s contemporary poem “True Love” celebrates the ordinary, unglamorous-and infinitely more beautiful and real-aspects of married love.
It is true that love does not need marriage to validate it. However, it is just as true that marriage and love can be and often are very intricately intertwined. When that intertwining happens, particularly in love literature (which is rare), it is a beautiful, moving and lasting commentary on the nature of love. The blending of love and marriage-in life and in literature-offers the best kind of hope to the human spirit. It offers a hope that love can endure beyond anything-from fantastic trials and adventures to the common, and infinitely more beautiful and real, activities of every day life.