Compare Before You Were Mine Essay Example

that her mother belonged to her. However in “Mother Any Distance” by Simon Armitage, Armitage sort of thanks his mum for looking after him and saying she has to let go but only a bit. Unreeling the years between us” this shows the emotional relationship that is between the two In “Mother Any Distance” by Simon Armitage, Armitage uses imagery to portray the bond between him and his mother. “Kite” that suggests he is flying high and has got his own place in society but is still connected to his mother that their bond has not been broken just stretched further. He calls his mother an “anchor” which refers to her being there for him a security based relationship. However the name “anchor” could be referring to the fact that she is weighing him down and trapping him from ever flying away. Endless sky to fall or fly” this portrays Armitage like a chick leaving the nest for the first time, as well as him taking the risk of leaving his mum and not being certain about his future. But in “Before You Were Mine” by Carol Ann Duffy, Duffy uses imagery to do lots of things. For example when she refers to her mother as “Marilyn” this suggests that she views her mum as beautiful, glamorous and exciting. During the poem enjambment is used, it is used to create the idea that she is having a conversation. “Cha cha cha! You’d teach me the steps on the way home from mass” this puts an image in the mind of the reader.

This sentence also represents the relationship between Duffy and her mum. “Before You Were

Mine” by Carol Ann Duffy is written in the present tense about the past and the use of enjambment gives the poem a conversational flow. It’s written in a chatty style which makes the poem feel natural. It’s a 4 stanza poem without a rhyme scheme in it. Whereas “Mother Any Distance” by Simon Armitage is a 3 stanza poem. Where the last two lines of the first stanza rhyme “doors….. floors” and the last two lines of last stanza rhyme “sky….. fly”. Before You Were Mine” by Carol Ann Duffy there are a couple of messages within the poem. The poem could simply be reflecting on the life Duffy’s mother had prior to her birth or Duffy might be feeling sorry for taking over her mother’s life. As well as this another message could be the domestic responsibilities take over from the glamour and excitement of youth. However as far as I can tell the message of “Mother Any Distance” by Simon Armitage is that one day you have to grow up and leave home and no matter how far you go your mother will still be there for you.

In conclusion both “Before You Were Mine” by Carol Ann Duffy and “Mother Any Distance” by Simon Armitage present parents in particular mothers, as people who are always giving up something. Whether it be their old life or having to part ways with their children to let them flourish on their own. Both “Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare and “The Laboratory” by Robert Browning, present women as not your average run of the mill women who are not like the rest and are different. In

“Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare the poem contains humour of the Sonnets of the time.

Within the time this was written Sonnets were of love and happiness and lust. Whereas in this poem Shakespeare uses these comparisons and makes them funny, however, this still gives the desired effect. In “The Laboratory” by Robert Browning the poem is about a woman trying to get revenge on a cheating partner “he is with her and they know that I know”. The woman is part of the previous French aristocracy, she is talking to an apothecary to help her gain her much needed revenge. She fools everyone to thinking she is at church but goes along to the apothecary. Empty Church, to pray God in, for them! –I am here. ” In “Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare the feelings within the poem are ones of love as well as humour. Shakespeare says “my mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” which shows the comical side however, he ends his poem with “I think my love as rare as any she belies with false compare” shows her love for her even thought she is not amazingly beautiful. However the women in “The Laboratory” by Robert Browning is feeling jealous at the beginning of the poem as already stated.

Going through the poem she becomes quite anxious “quick—is it finished? The colour’s too grim” she believes that the colour will put her victim off. As the poem draws to a close a sense of sexual satisfaction is shown, “you may kiss me, old ma, on my mouth if you will” this is just from the prospect of killing the partner of her

betrothed. In both poems the language used is very archaic however “Sonnet 130”’s language is far more archaic as it is from an earlier time. Within the poem “Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare, many examples of imagery have been used.

For example when Shakespeare says “and in some perfumes is there more delight than in the breath that from my mistress reeks”. Suggesting his mistress does not smell as nice as perfume but in fact reeks. Contrasts are used once or twice when it is said “I love to hear her speak, yet well I know that music hath a far more pleasing sound. ” This says that he loves her conversation but her sound is not as desirable. Whereas in “The Laboratory” by Robert Browning, imagery is used during the poem “pound at thy powder” this puts the image in our head of the apothecary creating the mixture to carry out dastardly deed.

Imagery is used again in the 5th stanza, “thy treasures” portraying the vials of poison on show while hers is being made as worth fortunes and being on a par with treasures of gold and silver. This again is shown in the previous stanza with “gold oozings” and “exquisite blue”. The poem by William Shakespeare “Sonnet 130” is a 14 line sonnet with an AB rhyming scheme where every other line rhymes, “sun……. dun” , “red……head”. Whereas “The Laboratory is a twelve stanza poem with the first two lines rhyme with each other and the last two lines rhyme with each other.

The message of “The Laboratory” could be “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” where as the message of “Sonnet 130”

is that even though Shakespeare’s mistress is not the most beautiful he still loves and that is all that matters. In conclusion Shakespeare and Browning present females in a similar style but in a totally different way. Its similar in the fact that both women are not run of the mill. However it is totally different because the fact is that the women in “The Laboratory” is quite mad whereas the women in “Sonnet 130” is not the best looking but is still loved.