MODULE 4: Literature of Asia

UNIT 3: The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter

& Unending Love

Name: Juan Justin Doctor-Gonzales_____________________ Date: November 24, 2021

Year/Course/Section: 3 BS International Relations-A Score: ____________________
Professor: Princess Fairuz Kale Kalantongan-Mangoba

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions about the poem The River-
Merchant’s Wife: A Letter by Li Po.

1. What is the main theme of the poem The River-Merchant’s Wife: A

Letter?

It appears to me that the main theme of the poem written by Li Po

entitled “The River- Merchant’s Wife: A letter” is all about love and the drive
to commit into it. The poem begins with an overview as to how the merchant
and the woman met as strangers and later became lovers. Even though their
affection for each other was quite immature, they immediately discovered
that it was the kind of love that deepen their respect and understanding for
one another. Moreover, it cannot be denied that the poem greatly illustrates
commitment and faithfulness since the woman’s endearing love and
patience reflect on the progression of their relationship and she constantly
expresses her growing sorrow as she waits for the homecoming of her lover.

2. Write down the lines that show signs that the letter writer was
immature when she got married?

The lines “At fourteen I married My Lord you. never laughed, being
bashful. Lowering my head, I looked at the wall. Called to, a thousand times,
I never looked back.” greatly imply that the young girl who later became a
wife lacks adult life experience. This aspect caused her to be hesitant when
every time she approaches her husband or when her husband approaches
her. Despite her shyness, the fourteen-year-old youngster has neither
animosity or dread for her husband. It was portrayed in the poem that the
young woman was simply being hesitant because she already developed a
deeper emotion for her husband but she was having difficulties on how to
express her emotions in a mature manner.
 3. What are the words and phrases which show that the two are deeply
in love?

To clearly elaborate my thoughts, allow me to state the whole stanza

which exhibits that the two lovers are deeply in love. “At fifteen I stopped
scowling, I desired my dust to be mingled with yours forever and forever,
and forever. Why should I climb the look out?”, this stanza entails the
elopement or the marriage rites of the fifteen-year-old child and the
merchant and this event symbolizes their immeasurable love and their
readiness for commitment for a lifetime. Moreover, their marriage alone
signifies that their love is already beyond measure since marriage is a
sacred practice and it is an event that should be dealt seriously.

4. What is the main conflict of the poem The River-Merchant’s Wife: A

Letter?

The main conflict of the poem is all about the growing loneliness that
the wife felt as a result of separation from her husband who departed in
search for a livelihood. The wife was worried and anxious since her husband
has not yet showed any signs of return from his business venture. She was
desperately waiting, longing, and hoping that one day she could reunite with
her husband and not just reminisce the shadow that her husband left her.
Due to this, the wife felt depressed but she could not do anything about it
because their distance is beyond her control. The only thing that she did as
portrayed in the poem was to hope that one day his husband will then
return.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions about the poem Unending Love by
Rabindranath Tagore.

1. What are some of the numberless forms that love may take?

The poem entitled “Unending Love” written by Rabindranath Tagore

gives an overview about a speaker's devotional love for his beloved in
numberless forms and numberless times. In my opinion, the said
numberless forms and times refer as to how their love for each other has
turned into something deep, purposeful, and meaningful. We cannot deny
the reality that sometimes the numberless forms and times are the things
that we cannot define and imagine but we can feel them clearly. I can
consider their love as timeless and boundless since their togetherness was
 in existence before like the connection between the soul and divine being.
Moreover, it is not the material things, distance, and problems that count
because what matters most is the eternal love that they are sharing.

2. What images of love are remembered forever? Give examples.

It appears to me that the kind of images of love that are remembered

for a lifetime are the ones worth remembering because of their historical
significance. It could be a happy moment, a painful event, or it could be a
random experience. For instance, the speaker in the poem was reminiscing
about his lover's moments with him where the first image that sprang to his
mind was of his lover's gleaming image. It gave the speaker so much hope,
and because of this hope, it caused him to fall even more in love with her.
The author compares the lady to a timeless work of art, a photograph, or
image that will be remembered forever.

3. What does the poet mean by the last stanza?

In the last stanza, the speaker compares his love to a stack of

offerings. He offers all his love to his beloved’s feet in adoration, faith, and
devotion. His love has found an end in her. Love originates from the divine
creator and ends in him. So, he compares his lady love to a divine being. It
does not matter if they are physically apart because there is a sense of
oneness between him and his lover. Moreover, he adores his beloved with
the songs of every poet from the past and present. According to the author,
love has a universality. The lovers of the past and present are part of the
universal joy and sorrow. If two persons love each other truly, they become
part of this universal love.

4. What does he mean by the last two lines? Explain comprehensively.

The poem's final two lines are about memories of love that are
blending with the happenings of the present. These memories make love
deeper and more powerful. Real love does not recognize distance,
appearance, age, and whatnot because real love is all about making
everything have a sense of wholesomeness. On the other hand, the speaker
put emphasis on how deep his love towards his lover. He adores his beloved
with the songs of every poet from the past and present and that is what we
call the unending love.