Parallel Path by Kevin Clark - Essay Example

The constant comparison between the two couples becomes a source of repetition in this poem. This serves the purpose of persuading the readers to think about the ever-changing reality of human relationships. The poet repeatedly refers to the woman’s stepping away from her guy in an attempt to emphasize upon such a difficult decision of her life. She pretends to be confident and her pretension shows that she might be shaky in her decision. As she slowly steps away from him, she might be weighing the pros and cons of making such a decision.

So the metaphor is hardly an amusing embellishment or diversion, an ‘escape’ from the harsh realities of life or of language. It is made out of, and it makes those realities. Their ‘opposite and discordant’ qualities are given, by metaphor’s interactive function, a form and an integrity, a role and an order. In this sense, man’s reality is formed by the metaphorical processes that inform his language. (Noppen, 61-62)The main metaphor of this poem is ‘parallel path’.

It evokes images of people walking on parallel paths and this term is ironic in the sense because even though the sad couple is walking on a parallel path of the happy couple, yet their destinies are poles apart. Parallel path carries different meanings for both couples. One is destined to be together; while the other couple is splitting up.But the poet admits that even for the happy couple, there are no guarantees, which means that anything can happen. This is rather a realistic and practical approach to life and relationships.

By believing in the uncertainty of life and staying prepared for the unexpected helps a person in the long run. It saves one from the shock of a sudden break-up and enables a person to enjoy life to its fullest. Time is also a significant metaphor that records the happy, sad or tough phases of people. It seems that the sustainability of relationships between the two couples has been gauged over a long time period of time.