Chloe’s Blog

The poem “Bride” written by Maggie Smith explores themes of self identity and self discovery in correlation to the longing for a connection. The speaker personalizes their reflections and dives into the complex relationship between herself and the concept of marriage. As a wedding signifies the reality that both individuals are now a part of a committed relationship with both constant responsibility and effort. This poem describes the speaker’s ability to keep her self identity when she becomes a bride which goes against the traditional notions of marriage emphasizing self reliance and empowerment. This poem connects to the image of a bride standing out the window.

The first line of the poem, “How long have I been wed to myself?” shows the significance of a relationship with oneself while also longing for another. The idea of being “wed to myself” explores a deep relationship with the speaker’s own emotions, thoughts and ideas showing self reliance. A sense of longing can also be shown from this quote following reflections on their own relationship, that they have a desire for another relationship. This highlights the complexity of emotions from the pride of their independence and their yearning for a relationship which can at times contradict each other. This connects to the image as it shows the bride alone in solitude, considering her relationship with herself while also moving into the complexities of another.  Knowing that soon she will be walking down the aisle demonstrates the ability to keep a strong relationship with yourself once married. 

Another example is the quote, “I am my own bride, lifting the veil to see my face” is a prime example of her thoughts of self identity and self discovery. As “I am my own bride” shows the speaker’s commitment and relationship to herself and prioritizing her needs. This goes against the traditional thoughts about marriage, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging the inner relationship to make sure it will not be compromised by any external relationship. This connects to the image of the bride as she could be self reflecting and considering the significance and importance of this next big moment. The bride in the photo is making certain that her identity is free from any expectations from her husband, showing herself love and prioritizing herself in addition to the relationship. 

The last line, “Darling, I have waited for you all my life.” shows an expression of longing and desire for a connection. Utilizing the word darling to start the sentence shows affection towards someone else which goes against the poem’s idea of self independence and self identity. Ending the poem with this line shows a sense of irony, that this longing for someone else unearths their sense of fulfillment and love that has been fulfilled by themselves.This quote captures the emotional tension between the longing from a connection with someone else and eventual realization that this fulfillment can come from within.

This photo captures the main ideas behind the poem that getting married doesn’t mean the bride has to conform to new norms and change. It shows the ability for the two things to coexist: one’s self identity and independence can work hand and hand with a deep connection with someone else. Only once the individual realizes that they don’t need someone else to feel fulfilled in life, it can exist as a relationship with another. 

Word Count: 561 

Silhouette of Stylish Bride by Getty Images on Unsplash

The poem “Walking the Dog” written by Maggie Smith published in 2018. 

The immediate idea that can be easily understood is someone walking their dog from the straightforward imagery of the scene. This is a very normal and everyday activity that any dog owner can easily relate to. The straightforward idea helps readers to think of their own routine and activities they partake in everyday. The ability to understand these direct, generalized routines and activities allows the reader to delve deeper into the layers of what seem to be undemanding tasks.

The sentence, “That a scent sliced its way through this too-thick air is reason enough to follow it.” was harder to understand due to its more abstract use of imagery, more complex use of words and deeper meaning. I think this sentence helps convey a symbolic purpose through its word choice and imagery. The choice of words “scent sliced” and “too-thick air” contrasts each other as it is stating the air to be very thick which would make it hard to smell just a singular smell but then stating the scent sliced through the air. That this exact smell was powerful enough to cut through this “thick air” gives reason enough to follow it and find out what it is or why it’s there. This sentence suggests a journey from the idea of following the scent to show a deeper idea of moving forward and exploring something better. 

Another line I found to be more confusing to decipher was, “What does she refuse to be tugged away from…” because it is more vague and open for interpretation than other lines. This causes confusion for what the line is actually referring to. I believe the line to be the person is resisting an external pressure which is trying to tug her attention away from something important which conveys her determination and commitment to find what she seeks as important. 

After spending some time examining the poem I understand the deeper meaning of this line; “…the women I hardly know on the street or in the mirror, hair parted on the wrong side, pink mole on the opposite cheek.” I believe this line is to help contrast the women on the street to the speaker which can be shown through the analogy of the mirror of these certain attributes to be on the “wrong” side. This larger meaning can connect to highlight the difference between how one views themself versus an outsider’s perspective. It can also expand to relate to beauty standards playing a huge part into many people’s perceptions of their beauty versus one another. As the attributes being on the “wrong” side like the mole and hair part shows self critique of oneselves.

From rereading this line, “If I saw myself walking the dog, seeing is all I could offer.” I believe it is showing if she saw herself walking she wouldn’t know what to think and would be confused by what she is seeing. It shows the complexity of self perception and the difficulty of being able to fully embrace and understand oneself and her daily routine. As it states “seeing is all i could offer” suggesting that her ability to connect with her own life is limited as if she really is an outsider of her own life. This highlights her disconnection to herself and her self identity, confusing to herself. She is a mother and dog owner but could have potentially lost who she feels she used to be before she became a mother and caretaker to her kids and animals and struggles with how to connect both of these women together. 

The themes of routine and self identity intertwine with each other to help illustrate the simplicity of a daily routine that can shape ourselves. It seems that her day-to-day walk with her dog has clouded her judgment of herself from this simple task. In addition, her observations of women emphasize the contrast between her self image and beauty standards. The ability to see the significance of these everyday tasks can help find her identity and image. 

A personal connection I can make with this poem is the significance of everyday routine and confusion with how this routine defines me. This poem highlights how the small things in life and normal everyday activities deserve to be appreciated and recognized and not simply overlooked. I relate to this as after a while all the school weeks merge into one causing me to forget the small details or stop appreciating and celebrating things as they happen. This poem helped bring to light to remember the small things in life and to appreciate them and the way you spend your time every day.

Word Count: 785

Photo by Jack Lucas Smith on Unsplash