The Bargain: Stanzas 4-5

“The Bargain”: Stanzas Four and Five

Content

In these stanzas, the speaker delineates the complexities of maintaining an equal domestic relationship in a monogamous partnership.
She depicts the narrative of a couple who negotiate and compromise on day-to-day tasks, struggling to maintain parity.
Throughout the section, there’s a ribbon of subtle defiance against staunchly rooted societal norms concerning roles within a relationship.

Language and Style

The use of the phrase “peel your tatties”, using everyday Scottish vernacular, serves to demonstrate the tension between modernity and tradition.
The symbolism of ‘peeling potatoes’ reinstate the often mundane, unromantic tasks required within a relationship. This echoes the earlier theme of love being a series of sacrifices and concessions.
The speaker’s perspective and voice adds a dash of humour to the poem, lightening the tone whilst keeping it grounded and relatable.

Structure and Form

Repetition is used effectively, reinforcing the idea of an ongoing process of compromise.
The enjambment continues to give the poem a conversational, casual tone.
These stanzas maintain the expressive mono-rhyme scheme, reinforcing the notion of unconditional love amidst life’s daily humdrum and inequality.

Themes Developed

The theme of Marriage and Commitment is underscored, as the narrator highlights the give-and-take nature inherent in managing domestic tasks within a marital relationship.
Sacrifice and Concession is echoed, as the speaker plots the endless sequence of compromises necessary to maintain a harmonious relationship.
The tension between Modernity and Tradition is accentuated via the colloquial language and the undercurrent of defiance against traditional gender roles.

Key Lines

“Anyhow, we’re in this together, him and me. Our deal…”
“I don’t promise to honour and obey, but I do pledge not to peel his tatties.”
“…as long as he swears he will never ever peel mine.”

In these lines, the commitment and mutual agreement between the couple are underlined, along with the speaker’s resistance to conventional roles, enriching the poem’s exploration of relationships.