Comparison between:

Title
Themes and Ideas
Love true, lost, ruined,
unrequited, romantic, spiritual,
etc
Lust/desire fulfilled, unfulfilled,
Death fear, threat, challenge to,
etc
Time inexorable, ruinous, cruel
etc

Comparing and Contrasting Poems

Sonnet 97

Love and separation. Sadness conveyed in the

absence of the loved one through metaphors
drawn from the natural world.
Tone is melancholic

Separation does not affect true love and may

even strengthen it.
Tone is positive and defiant
Elevates the lovers above the ordinary
attaining a higher, platonic, love through a
series of extended metaphors (conceits)

Similes, extended metaphors(conceit)

Personification of December, autumn, spring
Pathetic fallacy seasons disappointed/birds
mute
Alliteration/assonance(lines 2&3)
Repetition in winter

Comparison through allusion religious

elements introduced in stanzas 1 & 2
Ordinary events cannot affect the lovers
The physical is not necessary to develop the
love
Simile like gold to airy thinness beat
Extended metaphor of the compass
Choice of allusions and imagery particular
to metaphysical poetry

Discuss the sonnet form purpose and

structure
Use of exclamation marks
Quatrains- seasons used metaphorically
Begins and ends with connotations of winter

Carefully developed argument

conveyed through the logical order of
quatrains.
AbAB rhyme scheme reflects the
simple statement of fact about the
strength of the love

Language and Techniques

Use of symbols and metaphors
Verbs and adjectives
Images and emotions
Use of repetition
Sound patterning
alliteration/assonance
Denotation &Connotation

Form and Structure

Rhyme scheme and rhythm
Use of stanzas
Movement of ideas
Viewpoint
Punctuation
Syntax

A Valediction

Language of comparison and contrast

Here are some words and phrases to use when making connections between your texts, in
order to compare and contrast:
Like, likewise, similar to, similarly, comparatively, coupled with, correspondingly,
identically, moreover, together with, in the same way,
both most importantly have in common,
although, yet, whereas, however, but, while, differ, instead,
unlike, on the contrary, contrary to even though, on the other hand,
the reverse, in contrast, by the same token, conversely, on one hand,
on the other hand, nevertheless,

The list is not exhaustive and there are an almost infinite number of ways to compare and
contrast texts.

Some additional comparative sentences

Where Shakespeare employs familiar imagery common in much love poetry in the
16th century, Donne, by contrast, introduces unusual and challenging conceits that
engage the reader in an intellectual manner.
Larkins careful control of meter and rhyme reflects his own need to suggest a sense
of authority over the subject matter described. Duffy, however, rejects the use of a
formally structured and patterned poetic style in favour of free verse that relates
directly to the rejection of traditional authorial (male) control.
The use of an extended metaphor is apparent in both texts and Shakespeare and
Donne employ it for similar purposes as an invitation to carpe diem. Nonetheless, the
choice of metaphoric image is quite different and where Shakespeare uses the seasons
to make his argument, Donne introduces the unsettling analogy of the flea to convey
the speakers position.
These sentences are merely a few basic examples and they only introduce the
contrast/comparison. You need to then develop these introductory points by using textual
evidence (quotes) that you then analyse and evaluate.