Pointers and examples for writing your compare- contrast poetry paper

Mulling over my thesis-claim What I want to capture-convey in my paper: The complex emotions of the two speakers The contrast in their views about the consolation that comes from love or that love can offer The contrast between the sea and fabric imagery connected to that difference Note that these are loose ideas not yet in the form of a thesis—now I will try a couple of wordings for my thesis statement

Thesis-claim possibility one While both speakers are troubled by the tragedy in their midst, Arnold clings to the idea that love can offer some consolation whereas Faiz believes he cannot recapture all encompassing love. Or even stronger position at end of thesis Faiz believes all-encompassing love kept him from seeing reality.

Thesis-claim possibility two Here’s another angle I could take: Although Arnold and Faiz disagree about the consolation love can offer them, they share a deep concern about the inevitably tragic situation human beings face. (I like this angle because it’s a little less obvious than my first one and might lead to better discoveries about the two poems.)

Point-by-point organization Point One This is a rough outline of how I will proceed if I choose thesis one: A. Speakers troubled by tragedy in their midst (from Arnold: grating roar of pebbles, ebb and flow of human misery, on a darkling plain…) (from Faiz: rich had casct spell on history, dark centuries embroidered, alleys and open markets: bodies plastered with ash, bathed in blood)

Point Two Love offers consolation (mostly Arnold) Let’s be true to one another, ebb and flow, sea is calm tonight, moon lies fair (I can see this will be a tricky point to argue and develop—here I can show, I think, how complex his attitude really is, for you cannot characterize it as optimistic given the full context of the poem)

Point Three Faiz all encompassing love World was gold only because of you, sky nothing but your eyes, all this I had believed Kept him from seeing reality Sorrows, comforts other than love, humans sold and bought, rich cast a spell on history What should I do?

Point Four Engage the compare-contrast (to get at complexity of their attitudes)—I will start with Faiz since I left off with him Angst of Faiz questioning what he should do, feeling the need to take some kind of action, “And you still are so ravishing” as if he wishes he could find some consolation, suggesting “that love” cannot be retrieved, but can another kind of love?—I will explore this possibility

Point Four cont. Arnold Though he pleads that we “be true to one another” it seems so much weighs against that possibility—look at the “land of dreams” followed by his litany of difficulties that seems intractable: the world “Hath neither joy, nor love, not light, nor certitude, nor peace nor help for pain”…he then ends with “ignorant armies clash[ing] by night”—I will explore what this implies.

Conclusion It seems my conclusion will assert that the world views of the two speakers are not as far apart as I initially thought. If that is where I end up, I will adjust my thesis and introduction to better fit what my paper actually argues. I will probably use the conclusion of my draft as rough wording for my “real thesis.”