Metaphysical poetry merges the intellectual with the emotional. It explores abstract topics with witty language and inventive metaphors. Metaphysical poetry, a genre...Continue
What figures of speech used in the phrase “Marriage hearse”?
What figures of speech used in the phrase “Marriage hearse”? What can be the possible interpretation of the phrase?
William Blake’s (1757-1827) poem “London” (1794) paints a vivid picture of the city’s dark sides. One striking phrase he uses is “Marriage hearse.” This phrase combines two words that usually don’t go together. This is a figure of speech called an oxymoron. An oxymoron puts two opposite ideas next to each other. It makes us think deeper about what the poet means.
Interpretation
“Marriage” usually means new beginnings. It is about love and starting a family. It is a happy time. A “hearse,” on the other hand, is a vehicle used to carry a coffin in funerals. It symbolizes death and the end of life. By putting these two words together, Blake creates a strong image. He makes us feel the sadness he sees in marriages of his time.
In “London,” Blake might be saying that marriages are dying. They are not about joy and love anymore. Instead, they are filled with sadness and problems. The phrase could also mean that the society’s problems are so big that they kill the joy of marriage. People cannot enjoy being married because of all the sadness around them.
Blake uses this phrase to show how bad things are in London. He makes us see that even the good parts of life, like marriage, are ruined. His words make us think and feel the sadness he talks about. This is why “Marriage hearse” is such a powerful part of his poem.