Companion Poems

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Journal #8: Companion Poems

Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day

The poem, “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” was written in different periods by Shakespeare and Moss. The poems are associated in that they have the same theme. Readers of the poem, not familiar with the type of English used by Shakespeare will find the poem by Moss relatively easy to read and understand. Both writers used the elements that were common during their time. Reading the version by Shakespeare seems complicated and hard for modern day readers. Moss uses easy and comprehensible language. Both writers speak of the fact that they cannot compare their loved ones to a summer’s day. They proceed to demonstrate how their lovers cannot compare to a summer’s day. They both cite the fact that summer is too short and the sun can be too hot. They both claim that the season in May does not have perfect weather. Shakespeare speaks of the rough wind, while Moss speaks of the gray weather. The writers speak of the fact that a person does not stay young forever but they state that their loved ones will live long, even after they are gone. Shakespeare says that his loved one will live on so long as men live. Moss says that his loved one will live on through the words of the poem so long as people can read.

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love and The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd

Sir Walter Raleigh’s poem, “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd” is a reply to Christopher Marlow’s poem, “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”. The two poems are similar in nature. They have the same setting and they focus on similar characters. The poems however differ in content and theme. The shepherd is willing to abandon everything and he invites his love to come with him to a perfect place where everything seems to be working right. The nymph on the other hand is more realistic and she looks at the issue objectively. Although she is willing to experience the pleasures offered by the shepherd, she does not abandon the thought that things are not as perfect as they seem. The nymph rejects the shepherd’s invitation using the same advances that he had directed at her. Both poets use similar language and form. Structurally, both poems are written in iambic tetrameter. They each have six verses and twenty-four lines. Both writers have the same experiences. They have both experienced pastoral life and this makes it easy for the nymph to respond to the shepherd. She states that they cannot spend their time watching the flocks, as the sheep will eventually return to its fold. While the shepherd speaks of shallow rivers, the nymph reminds him that rivers rage.

Piano

Both poems were written by D. H. Lawrence in different times. In both poems, the speaker remembers the old days when he would sit at his mother’s feet under the piano and listen to her mother sing. He remembers when they would spend Sunday evening singing hymns during winter. In both poems, music acts as a powerful reminder of the speakers past. The woman singing reminds him of his mother and this enables him to make a connection between his lover and his mother. Although he tries to reconcile the past with the present, he is not able to do this, as he fondly remembers his past. Although the woman’s song reminds him of the past, it is not as good as his mother‘s song used to be. He reflects the innocence of his childhood and for a moment, the music takes him back to his childhood and he cries as he remembers him. In both poems, the writer romanticizes the present moment. In the earlier version, the speaker speaks of the woman’s arm, bosom and her bare soul. In the later version, he talks of a woman singing softly in the dark. This means that he is doing more other than listening to the music and remembering his past.