Instructions

1. Read, analyse and annotate both poems. I cannot emphasise enough the need to pen down your thoughts on the meaning and effects of the 2 poems. You may wish to use this rather simplistic / obvious Poetry Comparison Guide.

2. You have two options: compare and contrast both poems OR  write about ONLY one poem – the one you find ‘easier’ or more accessible. I would recommend that weaker students still struggling to analyse the poem do the latter: (i) this strategy will allow me to guide your comparison later on; (ii) this also encourages you to analyse one poem with both breadth and depth. Have it TYPEWRITTEN in Arial 11 / Garamond 12 / Times 12. 

3. Title your file YourName.doc / YourName.pages and send it to my email address (marc kenji lim at gmail dot com); the DEADLINE is now 27th January, Fri so you may choose to complete this before, after or during the CNY festivities. Send it to me as soon as you can please.

4. For those completing the single-poem task, some help with regard to the ‘other poem’ will be given to you. Your second deadline for a comparison piece is 10th Feb, Fri.

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Checklist of features you must analyse

• Title, opening and closing words/lines
• Language / diction
• Tone / mood
• Imagery and motifs
• Form (Repetition, Rhythm, Rhyme, Structure, Sound)

General guiding questions

• Avoid picturing a REALISTIC scenario (oh, the persona is whispering into her lover’s ear) or telling me what might actually be happening. Your job is to analyse and appreciate HOW a hopeful love is presented and in what light.
• What kind of hopeful love is being portrayed in the poem you have selected? What words show this attitude?
• What is the mood created by the imagery? What is the ‘feel’ of the poem?
• Is there any progression in the poem, especially in terms of tone / attitude? (e.g. is the end of the poem more hopeful than the start?)
• In what way does the title/tone/diction/imagery/form suggest about the persona / speaker’s hopeful love?

Pet peeves

• Please use ‘speaker’ and ‘persona’ (pl. personae). Use ‘Clanchy’ or ‘Oswald’ when you are describing the poets’ use of language, style and form.
• Use inverted commas to indicate titles of poems. ‘Ballad of a Shadow’ and ‘Spell’.