Within the first line of the poem, the poet creates a relationship between flame, wood, and love. For example, the poet states “for steadfast flame wood must be seasoned.” In other words, a steadfast flame cannot occur if the wood is not seasoned. By introducing this cause and effect relation to …show more content…
For example, the couple learned “in silence to wait out erratic storm.” In essence, the storm depicts a struggle in the relationship that the couple’s love must conquer to survive. By learning to wait out the storm in silence, the couple strengthens by gaining experience of how to overcome arduous struggles. Moreover, their lesson will ultimately support them in the long run. Next, the poet includes how the couple has also learned to “bury tumult when [they] were apart.” As tumult refers to an argument, the couple’s ability to conquer it despite being apart exhibits how clear minded they both are. As a result, the couple’s relationship now possesses an essential attribute in that each person knows how to deal with conflicts. Going forward, the poet illustrates how “fires were baked to keep a winter warm with heart of oak instead of resinous heart.” Here, the parallelism of wood, flame, and love is displayed in that the heart of oak represents love which is used throughout the entire winter for warmth. Furthermore, the use of juxtaposition enforces what the poet perceives to be love as seen through the discussion of a fire “with heart of oak instead of resinous heart.” In this case, the strong, durable heart of oak contrasts with the weak, temporary resinous heart. Because the fire is burned with a heart of oak, it lasts longer, therefore making it a representation of love. From the use of a juxtaposition, love is portrayed as something that can keep burning instead of something that burns out rather quickly like a resinous