Choose the piece of poetry which is most to your liking and analyse it using the following questions to guide you. 1

1 The first and the third poems thoroughly written with respect to the rhythm and rhyme. For the second author, the pleasing combinations of sound and expression of emotions seem more important than a perfect form. The effect of this “carelessness” is to increase the emotional strength, whereas the other poems are more a product of reason.

2 Shakespeare: The main body and the conclusion are separated, so that the reader doesn’t miss it.

Bums: The verses are of equal length with a lot of repetition. It looks like a song created on the spot to express the mood.

Kipling: The three verses are of equal length, very orderly, polished.

3 In each poem there are such instances. For example, “But no such roses see 1 in her cheeks.” (Shakespeare); “So deep in luve I am!” (Bums); “Roses red and roses white/plucked I for my love’s delight.” (Kipling) Fach time the emotional component is increased. Compare to “I see no such roses in her cheeks” or “I am so deep in love” or “l plucked white and red roses for my love’s delight.”

4 There are words like this in Shakespeare’s sonnet, for example the low style “reeks” is used to strengthen the gap between the accepted way of talking about love and real love; Bums’ piece is full of exaggerations; Kipling chooses literary words.

5 In the first poem we learn a lot about her physical features: appearance, the way she moves, speaks, etc. In the second poem there is no description at all. We only learn about the narrator s feelings towards her. It is a sort of “self portrait”. In the third poem we know more about her personality than her physical appearance.

6 “My love is not as beautiful as a goddess, she is much better, because she is real.”

“My love is so strong!”

“We live on the Earth, we can never experience heavenly love.”

7 Shakespeare emphasizes the opposition between the accepted (and therefore less substantial’Vaguer) image of unearthly beauty and a real woman. This can be traced in every line or in every two lines. The conclusion is separated from the rest so that the reader does not iniss it.Bums: Four-line verses come one after another. There is no strict logical connection between them. They seem to come spontaneously. They might go on and on like that.Kipling: Very logical development: exposition/ starting point, quest/ development, result/ conclusion. The First and the last lines contain almost the same words. This gives the impression of an accomplished and polished piece of work, in which no word can be added or taken away.