Analysis the Poem of A Wedding Sonnet for the Next Generation

Judith Viorst, in her poem “A Wedding Sonnet for the Next Generation,” represents the new definition of love with the help of allusions and symbolism that she uses to redefine the old concepts of love that were represented in the past. Judith Viorst uses a variety of symbolic and allusions to show that her poem may not be a perfect work and cannot be understood as seriously as in past literary works, but when she was creating an oath to uphold the personal well-being of women, there will be some sort of 'sublime' meaning that can be considered as outstanding or special. Rather than focusing on beauty or not being true even in old age, the author states that it is more important to define the concept of love through respect, trust, comfort, and family.

Viorst uses allusions as to the main tool in her definition of the modern understanding of love. It can be stated that she goes from the opposite, as the author starts with three definitions of romantic love that were used in the past by poets who are considered to be classic. This way of representation can be defined as one of the most effective for the understanding of modern love by the new generation because a lot of representatives of the new generation cannot relate to descriptions of feelings that were represented in previous ages by people who had different values and lived in different conditions. The love in the past was based on pure feelings and the traditional approach to how relationships were developed. People in the past used to understand love as the gift that they had to protect, and they romanticize everything that was related to the object of their love. However, the modern understanding of love is based on simple concepts that have basic and practical meanings, so passion or romance plays a less important role in modern relationships. The way in which poets in the past described love was based on the representation of relationships through the perspective of perfect feelings that they considered to be their gift, but Viorst understands love and relationships as the thing that should be improved by the efforts of people.

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The symbolism that was used by the author can be analyzed with the help of such literary devices as “summer’s day” or “Pilgrim soul” (Viorst, 2014), as these words are related more to the past understanding of romance. Viorst provides the reader with the allusion to Shakespeare’s sonnet in words “He might compare you to a summer's day” (Viorst, 2014). In this line, the author demonstrates that in the past, the lover could compare the object of his love to summer’s day, as it is warm and pleasant, so with these words, she underlines romantic relationships and feelings that are related to that time. The next allusion is based on Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnet 43, and Viorst represents it with words “She might, with depth and breadth and many sighs, Count all the ways she loves you, way by the way” (Viorst, 2014). In her sonnet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning counted ways in which she loved thee, and it was a representation of her romantic soul and how she represented her feelings. The last allusion in Viorst’s poem is related to William Butler Yeats' poem 'When You Are Old.' This allusion can be found in words in Viorst’s poem, “When you are old and grey and full of sleep, But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you” (Viorst, 2014). The author proceeds with the representation of modern love that is depicted with the help of a symbolic poem. In this context, the poem that is written by the person to whom Viorst is speaking means love, as the author states that “It doesn't always scan or always rhyme” (Viorst, 2014). With these words, Viorst demonstrates that the modern understanding and interpretation of love is based on other concepts that are different from those that were developed in the past.

It is important to analyze four basic concepts that were used by the author of the poem to represent how modern love should be understood. The first concept is respect, so it can be perceived as the core factor that should be present in the relationships. It must be noted that this aspect also can be related to love in the past, but in the modern interpretation, it means that people in relationships should build their communication on respect. This concept includes different aspects of relationships such as an ability to respect the privacy of the partner, to respect interests, and how the person sees the world. The next concept is trust, and it is one of the most important factors that allows building relationships in a successful way. In the past, jealousy and passion were considered to be the proof of feelings, but in the modern world these factors can limit the freedom of the partner, so it is important to understand trust as the core concept that can bring happiness and stability in the life of the object of love. Comfort is the next thing that is mentioned by Viorst, so it can be interpreted as the representation of relationships that make people feel comfortable and happy. In the past, relationships did not always bring comfort to people, as their feelings were represented in the manner that could make the person feel anxious, so in the modern interpretation of love, the stability and importance of caring are represented as the core principles that should be taken into consideration by people who want to build successful and happy relationships. The final aspect that is mentioned by the author in this poem is based on home, and this concept can be understood as the representation of the family. Viorst wants to tell people that love should make the person feel like he or she is at home with the partner, and this is not about the place, but it is about the feeling of safety. Love should be safe for both partners, and in this case, it can be stated that feelings are true.

In conclusion, it must be said that through four concepts that are named in the poem, the author represents her understanding of modern love. Viorst believes that these concepts are not as complicated as past representations of love, but they are more important and convenient for modern people. As long as these four elements are included in the relationships, people can obtain true love even if they can no longer be as gorgeous and complicated as depicted in poetry.