woman sitting and writing on a piece of paper with her hand on her cheeck with a river and butterflies in the background

The River-Merchant's Wife

by Ezra Pound

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The River-Merchant's Wife

The main conflict of "The River-Merchant's Wife" is the five-month separation between the wife and her husband.

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The River-Merchant's Wife

In "The River Merchant's Wife: A Letter," the imagery reflects the speaker's feelings of nostalgia and loss. Childhood images like "playing with blue plums" convey a carefree past, while the autumn...

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The River-Merchant's Wife

"The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter" illustrates how love evolves and deepens over time. Initially depicting youthful affection, the poem progresses to show the intense love that develops with...

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The River-Merchant's Wife

In "The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter," images of vegetation symbolize different life stages and emotions. Early in the poem, youthful innocence and beauty are depicted through flowers, bamboo, and...

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The River-Merchant's Wife

Pound uses vivid imagery in "The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter" to depict the maturation of a young bride and her longing for her absent husband. He creates relatable childhood images, such as a...

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The River-Merchant's Wife

In "The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter," Ezra Pound uses the images of the speaker's simple haircut, her playing and pulling flowers, and her future husband walking on stilts and pretending to ride...

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