Comparing Poems Using the chocolate method!!

Learning Objectives To understand how to compare two poems effectively. To be able to use comparative vocabulary to show the similarities and differences between two poems.

Do-it-yourself comparisons Or how not to do it! The main mistake that students make when comparing poems is that they write about one poem then they write about the next and expect the reader to do the comparing for them. So instead of this…

Look at the poems vertically not horizontally… from ‘Search for my Tongue’ from ’Unrelated Incidents Half Caste Love After Love This Room Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan Hurricane Hits England Subject Matter Language Tone Structure Meaning

First look at the wrappers… (or the titles of the poems) Look at the material the wrapper is made from plus the colours and fonts used. How are they similar? How are they different?

The Wrappers Both chocolate bars are wrapped in foil which is sealed on both sides but can be ripped open easily. The main colour used for the Twix bar is gold whereas the main colour for the Mars Bar is black. Both wrappers use red for the name of the product to attract the purchasers’ attention. The font used by both products is very distinctive and if a Mars Bar or Twix is ever advertised then the same font is always used.

The titles of poems Both ‘Presents form my Aunts in Pakistan’ and ‘Hurricane hits England’ feature names of countries in their titles which suggests that place is going to be an important feature in the poems. They are both very straightforward introductions to the subject of the poems, in comparison to from ‘Unrelated Incidents’ which is a more enigmatic title.

Now look at the appearance of the actual bar…(or the structure). Look at the shape and colour? How is it similar? How is it different?

The appearance of the two bars of chocolate The main difference between Twix and Mars Bar is that there are two bars of chocolate in a Twix and just one Mars Bar. However, apart from this their appearance is very similar with both bars being covered in a smooth rippled chocolate effect.

The structure of the poems The poem ‘ Not My Business’ has used a regular structure so the poem has a clear pattern on the page. The first three stanzas use a quatrain followed by a three-lined chorus which emphasises the point he is making about choosing not to help others until it is too late. He asks, ‘What business of mine is it’ that other people’s lives are being destroyed. In comparison, Agard uses a long short-lined stanza to replicate an autocue because he is making the point that, when he was writing, people who had regional accents were not accepted in the media.

The smell and the taste…or how it makes you feel Smell the bars – compare the feelings that are evoked How are they similar? How are they different? Taste the bars – compare the taste and texture of the chocolate How are they similar How are they different

The smell and the taste Both the bars smell the same because they are both covered in a similar type of milk chocolate. However, they taste quite different. The Mars Bar has a generally smooth texture because it contains light mousse topped with caramel whereas the Twix Bar is much crunchier because it contains a biscuit. The size also makes a difference because a Mars Bar is quite filling whereas each Twix Bar can be eaten at different times.

How the poet uses different techniques to make you feel different emotions The poet Osundare uses similes to create a vivid picture of the violent attack endured by Akanni, describing he had been beaten ‘soft like clay’. This creates a very tactile image in your mind; you know what clay feels like but you also know that when related to someone’s face it means that all the bones have been broken. Alvi also uses similes in her poem but she concentrates on the beauty and vivid colours by comparing one to the ‘split half of an orange’. Once again we are all familiar with this colour and we see the bright vibrant colour in our mind’s eye.

So whenever you have to compare…