Writing A Compare And Contrast Essay About Two Famous Poems

Compare and contrast essays are meant to place two similar entities on stake for dissection. Interestingly, you will invariably find that two entities of similar valor have quite a few things in common and they also wage a war on a few situations.

Clarifying the point

Let’s make the point clear with a semantic comparison between two rate poems. One is Hyperion by John Keats and the other is prisoner of Chillon by Lord Byron. Now, both these are quite long in dimension and are prison poems; thus making them eligible for comparison.

Points of similarity

There are many points of similarities; two of which have been mentioned afore. These are poems about the human will and how, when nurtured well, can take up any storm. Both are stories of survival against bulwarks (supernatural forces in case of Hyperion; time in case of Chillon).

Both have been written by ultra-powerful poets who had a gift of infusing abstracts with concretization. Both poems end up on a positive note even as the beginning is quite morose. Both have a dull and dark setting; thus offering an antithesis to the human will. Incidentally, the two poems were written only a couple of years apart; Chillon being two years senior at 1816.

Points of contrast

Now, obviously; the framework of both poems is quite different. Hyperion involves Gods and demigods. Prisoner of Chillon, meanwhile, is a narrative of a common person incarcerated along with his family. The objective of the hero is also different; Hyperion having an intensely more noble aim than the Prisoner of Chillon, who sees his family succumb in prison.

There are allusions in Hyperion that Chillon naturally steers clear of. The implication that beauty is a priority has nothing to do with the fabric of Chillon. While Chillon weaves through imagery and plight to fight for survival; Hyperion aims for an upper hand by bringing together the fallen gods under Hyperion.

The right way forward

These poems adumbrate how you can turn matters of plight into delight through will power and intense focus. They say that even the shooting stars looks ephemeral in the backdrop of the sky. The only permanent thing is Truth and we shall never cease to fight for its existence.

You may also pick other entities for compare and contrast essays; just make sure that the entities are valid and curiosity-inducing. Above all, it should make a good read.