In lines 497 - 537 we see many references to the bible and Greek mythology. This part of the story is the wedding party 'And at the feeste sitteth he and she' and with them sit other 'worthy folk' on the raised platform; deys. Towards the beginning of the poem we realise that the 'blisse is the paleys' and everyone seems happy, although, not much is said about May, and from what we know she would not be as happy marrying January. Until lines 502, we get the impression that the palace is full of joy, the food is plentiful and that the marriage will go ahead perfectly.Even as we read the first few lines we realise it has rhyming couplets which adds to the effect of the poem and seems suited with what the narrator is saying.
As it would be a poem read aloud it would be easier to remember and understand the poem because it is in rhyming couplets.The mood of the wedding carries on in lines 503, not only are the people happy and the food plentiful, but also music was played which was so great that not even 'Orpheus, ne of Thebes Amphioun' had made such a melody. Here we see the references to Greek Mythology and Religion. In line 507 we even see the mention of 'Joab' the nephew of David, who seems content in the wedding ceremony.
Up to lines 517 we see mention of various Greek Mythological characters who seemed amazed and happy with the wedding, such as 'Ymeneus, that God of weddyng' who had never seen a married man so merry in his lifetime. The mood of the wedding and January seem to be the central focus point in these lines and no mention of May has occurred yet. In lines 520-525 their marriage is compared to that of Mercury's and it says how 'To smal is bothe thy penen, and eek thy tonge, For to descryven of this mariage.'In line 523 we see use of alliteration 'And of the sweet songs by the Muses sung,' And this seems to fit perfectly when said aloud with what it is saying as when said aloud it produces a soft sound that emphasises on the 's'.From line 520 onwards we see a hint of irony and we see a very one sided view of the marriage.
It says that when 'tendre youthe hath wedded stoupyng age' there is such gladness and gaiety that 'it may nat be writen,' and the narrator advises 'Assayeth it youreself' and the only will you know whether I lye or noon in this matiere.'From lines 530-535 we get a description of 'maia' and how she sits there beautifully, and 'To look at her it seemed like faery.'We can see throughout these lines that the wedding seems to be going perfectly, many Greek mythological characters and references from the bible are mentioned and they seem to add a diverse effect on the poem. Not much is said about May, and the wedding is only shown from a one-sided view and not from May's eyes who may be enjoying it much less than January.
