Poet comparisons are an interesting topic to explore in an essay They allow readers to understand how poets throughout history have viewed the world, articulated common themes, and used their craft to connect with readers. By comparing the poets to each other, readers can gain new insights into how poets have used language and emotion to create powerful works of literature.
The best way to compare poets is to start by examining a theme that each poet has explored. Examining a particular poetic device, such as a metaphor or a simile, can be particularly illuminating. In addition, readers can compare the writing styles of poets, such as how they use imagery, rhythm, and word choice, to explore the compositional techniques used by each poet.
Here are five the best examples of poet comparisons to explore in an essay:
1. William Wordsworth and William Blake: These two English Romantic poets have much in common, from their poetic themes to their creative use of language. By comparing their works, readers can observe differences in their respective views of nature and human emotion.
2. Alfred Tennyson and Robert Browning: These two Victorian poets are well known for their use of drama, narrative, and irony. A comparison of their works reveals their similarities in style and approach to exploring emotions and complex themes.
3. Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman: These two American poets are often compared to each other due to their use of the "free verse" poem style and their exploration of feelings of isolation and belonging in society.
4. William Butler Yeats and T.S. Eliot: Yeats and Eliot are two of the most influential modernist poets of the early twentieth century. A comparison between their works reveals how they explored similar themes, yet approached them in different ways.
5. Maya Angelou and Robert Frost: While these two poets worked in different eras and had different personal and cultural circumstances, they share similar themes in their works. By comparing their works, readers can observe how their use of metaphor and language is deeply intertwined with their perspectives on life.