{"id":3464,"date":"2016-04-13T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-04-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?p=3464"},"modified":"2020-07-31T17:28:51","modified_gmt":"2020-08-01T00:28:51","slug":"how-to-compare-and-contrast-poems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-compare-and-contrast-poems\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Compare and Contrast Poems Like a Lit Major"},"content":{"rendered":"

As if writing a more standard essay were not enough, your instructor slaps you with this: a compare and contrast essay. What makes it worse is that it\u2019s about poetry\u2014<\/i>as if you know how to compare and contrast poems already.<\/p>\n

How does she expect you to completely decipher and explain not just one poem but two<\/i>? To make matters worse, some of the poems you have read in class this semester may as well have been written in a foreign language.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a step back and start in a language you do understand: pop songs. Now, pop songs are not poetry. And your instructor likely wouldn’t appreciate an essay about the nuances of the latest Pitbull song when compared to Twenty One Pilots\u2019 new single. But this is<\/em> a good place to learn the technique of how to compare and contrast poems.<\/p>\n

Comparing Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus: Yep, That\u2019s Right<\/h2>\n

THE MOST EPIC RAP BATTLE OF HISTORY!<\/h3>\n

Just kidding. I wish.<\/p>\n

Instead of hosting a showdown, I\u2019m going to show you how to compare and contrast poems successfully using \u201cWrecking Ball\u201d by Miley Cyrus and \u201cBlank Space\u201d by Taylor Swift as my examples.<\/p>\n

(In case you\u2019ve been living under a rock, here are links to the lyrics of Wrecking Ball<\/a> and Blank Space<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Whenever you’re comparing and contrasting poetry, the first thing you should do is make a list of both obvious and subtle similarities and differences. Here\u2019s what such a list might look like for these two songs:<\/p>\n