Andrea Rose C.

Ocasiones BSED ENGLISH 3A

Alona Paña

Summary

The poem elaborates on what marriage is all about: it is sacred and blessed by God himself.
Marriage is love, meaning two couples will be born as one, yet being one is not crossing the
lane of individual diversity. In marriage, each must have a mutual understanding of love and
respect. Marriage is not about binding, and love is not rigid; it allows for changes and
adaptability in the new way of living, and most importantly, marriage is about connecting two
souls that are free like the waves on the sea. The author also emphasizes that marriage is a
commitment you give to your other haft but partners must not rely on one; being dependent
on your partners will not make you grow individually, and marriage cannot be the sole source
of one’s life. As the poem goes on, marriage not only navigates the love of couples but also
introduces how to handle unique identities. In order for a marriage to have strong
foundations, partners must acknowledge each other’s boundaries which will help them last
forever.

Meaning

The meaning of marriage is shared love and respect. While love is significant, it
cannot be the sole focus. In order to maintain a peaceful marriage, it should be balanced.
Therefore, marriage does not flow on restrictions; its journey must be free to adapt to changes
both on an individual and in a much bigger picture. A mature mindset makes partners live
harmoniously, so there must be space to make two partners grow independently.

Structure
“Marriage” is prose poetry written by Khalil Gibran, meaning it is written in a free-
verse style that tackles and explores complex themes in ideas in a more expressive way. It
lacks traditional rhyme meter, but Gibran used line breaks that allow readers to pause and
reflect on each idea. Moreover, this poem’s structure is a conversational that talks about
wisdom and the world of marriage. The poem begins with a question, letting the reader know
what the poem is all about. As with other poems in the book “The Prophet”, “Marriage”
focuses on a universal theme, which is the love and relationship that allow people to resonate.

Literary Devices and Detailed Analysis

At the very start, the writer asked a question, letting the readers know what the poem was
all about in a conversational manner. The theme of this poem explores the idea of marriage as
the union of two souls while emphasizing the importance of not losing one’s individuality.
Obviously, the poem has a contemplative and philosophical tone, offering wisdom and
guidance on the subject of love. There were also various literary devices used in the poem
that enhanced its quality. Just like metaphor, symbolism, repetition, imagery, personification,
anaphora, and alliteration.
 1. Metaphor: "Love one another but make not a bond of love: / Let it rather be a moving
sea between the shores of your souls."
It emphasizes the dynamic nature of love between union just like the fluidity of water.

2. Symbolism: "And stand together yet not too near together: / For the pillars of the
temple stand apart,"
“The pillars of temple” is a symbol of individuality of the couple inside a marriage,
that they should stand firm maintaining boundary.

3. Repetition: "Let there be spaces in your togetherness, / And let the winds of the
heavens dance between you."
The repetition of the word “Let”

4. Imagery: "Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,"
It emphasizes the celebration between two souls.

5. Personification: "Love one another, but make not a bond of love."

Love is personified here, suggesting that it has agency and can be shaped or nurtured
within a relationship.

6. Anaphora: "Love one another..."

The repetition of "Love one another" at the beginning of several lines

7. Alliteration: "let the winds of the heavens dance between you."

The repetition of the "d" sound in "dance" and "between"

Compare to similar poetry

We can compare the poem “Marriage” in the poem “Love” which is also a part of the
pieces inside “The Prophet”, the two poems have the same universal topic about love and
relationship but differs in the broadness of it. “Marriage” specifically talked about the love of
the united souls while “Love”, is the generalize meaning of the title itself love. Both poems
invite readers to contemplate the nature of love and its significance in human existence.