Conjoined by Judith Minty

From reading the poem “Conjoined” by Judith Minty, readers can see the different literary devices the poet uses to convey a marriage gone wrong. Agony over the joining of two people in marriage is the deep underlying theme as portrayed through simile, metaphor and analogies. The whole poem by Judith Minty is one huge analogy of an unhappy marriage.

The poet uses analogies to make his point. In the very first line, the onion is referred to as a monster. It is two onions only “joined by a transparent skin” (2). The skin is like the unification of marriage between the two onions. The deformity of the two onions “each half-round, then flat and deformed where it pressed and grew together” (3-4) puts a slight tilt on the joining. Where the two onions come into contact with each other they have warped and deformed into something uglier and less perfect. This transparent skin has changed the onion into one deformed unified onion. “Conjoined” is a troubling piece of writing that goes around in circles with definitions and analogies of a very unhappy union of two people.

Not only that, but the poet deliberately uses similes to prove her point. For instance, the Chinese Siamese twins used are another example of the deformity of marriage. “Or like those freaks, Chang and Eng, twins joined at the chest by skin and muscle, doomed” (7-8). This line does a great job describing the agony and pain of being joined physically with someone because of marriage. These twins go through life never alone or at peace because of the deformity and union in being Siamese twins. To feel the agitation of knowing they can never be separated from each other is beyond the comprehension of most people. To be linked to one another, although each being is quite unique creates the image of suffering into mind. Another example of this is the deformed calf with the two heads from the result of a birth defect. “An accident, like the two-headed calf rooted in one body, fighting to suck at its mother’s teats;” (5-6) shows such deep sorrow and distress. The use of such a pitiful creature as an example again reaches inside to dig out the feelings of how two people could possibly share such a marriage but have to constantly fight.

Such anguish is felt in these words: “To sever the muscle could free one, but might kill the other” (12-13). The reference of being cut apart and separating the two is brought out so plainly and so skillfully that feelings of remorse surface for both of them. It almost gives the image of divorce and how together, the marriage is deformed yet separating would cause hardships and distress. “…might kill the other” (12-13). “We cannot escape each other” (15). It is the logical conclusion and finalizes the whole assumption of this poem. The finality of the whole poem of the two becoming one “Conjoined” entity brings such gloom over the reader. There is nothing to be done, as there is no escape.

Many poems about marriage are full of life and happiness, but this one has a cloud of gloom and doom hanging over it. It is a sad piece of artwork that shows the unhappy side of a marriage. Pity and remorse are two emotions that come to the surface when reading the poem. A short and compact poem that has many emotions packed in very tightly. It forces thoughts and revisions to come into mind by using different literary devices.