FREE ESSAY ON COMPARISON POEMS

COMPARISON POEMS

In all poems there is a theme, whether the theme be obvious from the start or it be one
that is difficult to find. No matter how long or short a poem or how complicated or
simple every poem that you read will have a theme. 
In Beale Street Love by Langston Hughes, the poem illustrates a theme that would be along
the lines of a dangerous love. Hughes demonstrates this quality over and over again by
depicting an abusive love with his powerful words. Even though the poem is short in
length, the words are so powerful that it completely takes you aback to a dangerous love
situation. For example, Hughes uses such words as crushing the lips, blackening the eyes,
hit me again... These words lead one to believe that there is definitely a feeling of
love, fear, and embarrassment which in turn would lead to a potentially dangerous
situation for whomever was in this predicament. I believe the poet handles this theme
very well in the sense that it lets one in on something so common but yet so fearful.
Hughes keeps the poem short, simple and to the point and does not put on the rose colored
glasses so to speak. 
Elizabeth Bishop illustrates a theme that seems to include of feeling or sense of loss.
The author goes on to describe the islands as if she were looking into a mirror of her
past. She states, the islands haven't shifted since last summer, even if I like to
pretend they have... It prepares the reader for the fact that she is about to reminisce
or come across some sort of fond memory. As she continues she realizes how everything she
is experiencing is just like the past. She continues to recollect about a friend that she
kept dear to her heart. Bishop remembers previous conversations and fun times she
experienced with this special friend. Then she continues on to say, you left North Haven,
anchored in its rock, afloat in mystic blue...And now-you've left for good. You can't
derange or re-arrange, your poems again. (But the sparrows can their song.) The words
won't change again. Sad friend, you cannot change. This implies that her good friend left
and now she is alone with only her memories and rejoicing in the memories she will always
have with her special friend. I think the author handles the theme very well. She puts
the feeling of loss into a special feeling that only a memory that one may hold deep in
one's heart. She sets the theme of loss in a positive state verses dealing with the theme
of loss in a depressing. 
Robert Frost's theme in Out, Out- is one of loss. He demonstrates this by starting his
poem talking about wood being sawed off and it falling to the ground, this is
foreshadowing for the inevitable. He goes on to give description of the saw, through it
sounds and its actions. You can tell from the begging of the poem that something tragic
is going to happen with the saw whether it be with the one that is operating it or some
one who is close to it. Frost depicts the boy as just that a boy doing a mans job and due
to the fact that it is a boy doing a mans job he is careless and gets distracted. The
boys sister comes outside and tells him that dinner is ready and carelessly the boy
looses control of the saw cutting off his hand. The boys first words are Don't let him
cut my hand off-The doctor, when he comes. Don't let him, sister! This shows the boys
fear and the trust that he has in his sister. Frost at first leads you to believe that
the boy is simply going to lose his hand but with the line  They listened at his heart
little-less-nothing! And that ended it No more to build on there You see that the boy
lost his life. Frost handled the theme of loss very well he first lead us to believe that
the thing that was going to be lost was the boys hand but Frost took it to another level
by taking the boys life. 
I have tried to demonstrate to you that in every poem there is a theme. No matter the
author or the length of the poem. You must make sure that you read the poem carefully and
with an open mind to see really what the author has in store for you.