Poetry Comparison Essay Example

the afterlife in a more profound way. The use of various language techniques helps to vividly describe the setting and enhance the deeper meaning of both poems. Both poems employ sound devices, visual devices, and other language techniques to effectively communicate with and captivate the reader.

Both Dawe and Slessor use similes to create vivid imagery in their poems. In Dawe's poem, he compares the voices of parents calling to birds by the water's edge, conveying the desperate cries of birds searching for their young. Similarly, Slessor likens something as blue as drowned men's lips to depict a visual image while also hinting at a deeper meaning in his poem. Additionally, Dawe employs rhetorical questions like "Why else would they be taken out of the sweet sun?" to make readers ponder on the subconscious level about life's injustices and unfairness.

Although not using rhetorical questions, Slessor employs structure and sequence to mirror the narrator's emotional state. He accomplishes this by commencing the poem with a mellow tone, employing gentle sounds like 'softly, humbly, sway, wander, and rolls' to deceive the reader into a state of tranquility. As the true theme and subject of the poem—drowning soldiers—is gradually revealed, the sounds in the poem become sharper and more dissonant, expressing the emotional strain induced by burying the deceased.

Both poems share similarities in their rhythmic structures, breaking into five quatrain stanzas of irregular metre and utilizing enjambment. Symbolism is employed by both poets to convey a deeper meaning, particularly related to death. In Beach Burial, Slessor suggests that death brings together opposing forces, as they are "enlisted on the other front." This phrase

symbolizes heaven or the afterlife. Similarly, Dawe's fictional character, known as "the king," is a representation of King Neptune, the Roman God of the Sea.

In this poem, the King takes the children individually to his kingdom, which is believed to be the afterlife for drowned children. King Neptune personifies death itself, with his power and authority over the water. The King's "sure net" symbolizes the unstoppable force of the tragedy and may suggest the poet's belief in destiny. While both poets use a sad tone to explore the theme of death, they also suggest that death can be seen as a welcoming place, a new beginning that brings comfort to those who have lost loved ones.

Dawe and Slessor use setting, language techniques, and symbolism in their poems "Elegy for Drowned Children" and "Beach Burial" to convey meaning. Slessor's experience as a war correspondent during the battle of El Alamein greatly influences his piece. As for Dawe, his various occupations have given him empathy with people from all backgrounds. Despite their distinct writing styles, both poets explore the theme of death and raise questions about the possibility of spiritual continuance after death.