How to Write a Two-Poem Comparison

Joseph Guyer reports:

"Writing a comparison between two poems needn't be overly difficult if you break it down into segments beforehand. Technically speaking, to compare two poems means to find the similarities between them, but it could also mean to discuss in detail any insightful similarity or difference. Before drafting the essay, plan it out by selecting targeted points of comparison such as structure, theme and imagery and then compiling the evidence from both poems...One way to compare two poems is by examining their similar structures and explaining how the structure relates to the poems' meaning or the time period in which they were written...Looking critically at similar examples of imagery, such as birds, can be another way to compare two poems...Comparing instances of figurative language, such as metaphor, simile, personification, metonymy and synecdoche, is yet another option...One of the most frequently used methods is to compare two poems' common themes. Theme, of course, is more than just a simple topic. It is what the poet is saying about a topic."