compare and contrast two poems

I am going to compare and contrast “I, Too” by Langston Hughes and “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman.

Instruction:

Compare and contrast two poems and their approach to a common theme or concern. You may choose any two poems from the anthology, however they may not be by the same poet.
Thesis Statement Sample Template: Though [poem 1] uses [poetic element 1] and [poem 2] employs [poetic element 2], both works contribute to [common theme].
Suggested Essay Development: Your essay should describe how the poets used some of the elements of poetry discussed in this course (form & structure, rhyme, rhythm, language patterns, imagery, & symbolism), to build the theme of their poem. Your discussion of each element should point clearly back to the poem’s theme or concern. Keep stressing your central theme with each new topic. A basic approach to this essay could look like this:

If you choose to explicate on the works separately, make sure to use phrases such as “Though [poem 1] relies heavily on … , [poem 2] … ” and “Unlike [poem 1] … ”

The other way for how to compare and contrast poems is to switch between works every paragraph. In this way, you discuss one element of one poem and move on to discuss the same element in the second poem. Often, this method is the easiest for a reader to follow.
When using this structure, make sure you have complete body paragraphs. A complete paragraph should include the following:
The topic sentence (an argument about the evidence you have)
Evidence (a direct quote or paraphrase from the work)
A tie-in (to connect the point back to your thesis statement)
Sample Outline
I. Introduction
II. Element 1 – Contrast
a. Poem 1
b. Poem 2
III. Element 2 – Contrast
a. Poem 1
b. Poem 2
IV. Element 3 – Compare
a. Poem 1
b. Poem 2
V. Conclusion

In this explication you will be presenting your “reading” of the poem you have chosen. Such a reading will require you to understand all aspects of the poem and to have a grasp of the meaning of individual parts of the poem in relation to the entire work. You are not, however, striving to be exhaustive in your “explanation” of the poem, but rather you should strive to be selective in considering only those details that are significant to your own thematic understanding of each poem.
Transitional words/phrases are important in a comparison and contrast essay. They allow you to make your papers smoother and easier to read and help provide organization. Most importantly for the comparison and contrast essay, transitional words improve the connections that you are trying to make! Examples: also, although, again, at the same time, but, compared to, contrasted with, conversely, despite, even though, however, in contrast, in the same way, like, likewise, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the other hand, regardless, similar to, similarly, still, while

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