Compare the ways in which damaged relationships are presented In The Manhunt’ and ‘In Paris with You’ Simon Remarriage and James Fenton both present a damaged relationship In ‘The Manhunt’ and ‘In Paris with You’ by using many poetic devises such as alliteration, metaphors and repetition. Remarriage presents a damaged relationship in the Manhunt between a soldier, Eddie, and his wife, Laura, and how they have been affected by war. Fenton presents a damaged relationship between a couple using a monologue.
Both titles have a perception of being something else but he emotions expressed in each poem reveal the opposite. The title, The Manhunt, manipulates you into thinking that the poem will be about death and criminal behavior but the context of the poem Is about the relationship between a man and his wife. Although the title is the opposite of the text, it still has some similarities. The title is also about searching. This links in with the text because it is about a wife ‘searching’ for the husband she used to have and trying to get into the mindset of her husband so that she can understand him.
The title ‘In Paris with You’, is perceived to e a romantic poem because it uses the word ‘Paris’ which is associated with love and romance but In actuality the poem is about a partner dissatisfied about their relationship. Both poems employ metaphors to present damage In the relationships. In The Manhunt, Remarriage writes “you can feel the hurt of a grazed heart”. This stanza is used to represent the experience and impact the war had on Eddie that the hurt from the war ‘grazed his heart’.
The grazed heart may be the heart of Laura to show that what happened to Eddie has had an effect on her as well and that she can feel his sadness and love through his heart. In ‘In Paris with You’. Fenton writes, “I’m a hostage”. This metaphor uses the word ‘hostage’ to show that the writer feels entrapment and solitude In their relationship. Both poems use dramatic monologues to present a damaged relationship. This is because it enhances the readers feelings about the poem and makes it more intimate because it is coming from the own persons point of view.
In the Manhunt the line “skirting along, only then could I pictured the scan” makes you feel more emotion and closer than saying ‘only then could she picture the scan’ this Is because we know that she Is the one that has experienced the situation. In ‘In Pans with You’ the line “Don’t talk to me of love, I’ve had an earful” shows us how using monologues present a damaged relationship by the use of imperative. This would not have been shown if this was not a monologue. It shows the speaker is trying to gain control.
Both poems use rhyming words and enjambment to make the poem flow evenly to show the damaged relationships. Remarriage uses rhyme to represent the gradual healing process of Eddies wife, Laura “every nerve in his body had tightened and closed. Then, only then, did I come close. He uses the word ‘closed’ to show that there was no way of repairing the relationship but then he goes on to say “only then, did I come close” which tells us that there is still hope for repairing the relationship.
On the other hand, Fenton uses internal rhyming to present a relationship going down the hill – “Vive had an earful And I get tearful” this shows the more she hears from her partner, the more it makes them feel awful. The lack of punctuation in both of the poems helps It to flow evenly a range of poetic techniques and devices to present a damaged relationship in ‘The Manhunt’ and ‘In Paris with You’ .
