In Memoriam the speaker compares sorrow to a wife to illustrate that sorrow.

will always be with him?

Is there supposed to be a period after "sorrow" in your question? What "Memoriam" are you refering to?

If I were the wife, I would not be flattered by this comparison.

Its written correctly. Its from the poem "In Memoriam" by Alfred Tennyson.

my first answer was that it is a friend

I don't understand what your question is, but here are some sites that may help you:

http://www.enotes.com/nineteenth-century-criticism/memoriam-alfred-lord-tennyson

http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/tennyson/section8.rhtml

I apologize for misreading your question and not recognizing that is was about the Tennyson poem. The punctuation of the questoin made no sense.

You are correct that the poem is an elegy of mourning for the death of a young friend who was engaged to Tennyson's sister. He questions the existence of a God who cares about the fate of individuals. I also recommend Writeacher's link to the SparkNotes article.

To understand how the speaker in "In Memoriam" compares sorrow to a wife, we need to analyze the poem's overall themes and literary devices. "In Memoriam" is a long elegy written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, as a personal reflection on grief, loss, and the passage of time.

In this particular comparison, the speaker is suggesting that sorrow is like a faithful and constant companion, similar to a wife who is always present. This implies that sorrow is a deeply ingrained and enduring emotion that remains with the speaker even in their daily life. By comparing sorrow to a wife, Tennyson is also highlighting the intimate and constant nature of this emotion.

To fully explore the poem's context and meaning, it is recommended to read the entire poem or specific stanzas related to this comparison. Understanding the entire poem will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the speaker's feelings about sorrow and its impact on their life.