Comparing Poems

Start with a comparison framework

The Comparing Poems page brings together mind maps and flashcards made by GoConqr users. A useful starting point is Comparing Poetry, a mind map that asks what a poem is about and considers themes, emotions, speaker and setting. It also looks at the message a poet may want readers to take from a poem.

Use those prompts to organize your reading. For each poem, note what the speaker describes, then consider which themes or messages offer a useful point of comparison. The map gives you questions to return to as you work through the other resources on this page.

Move from ideas to examples

The mind map Comparing poems looks at Ozymandias and My Last Duchess through ideas about social control and power. Life and Death brings together London and Letter in November. These maps offer different ways to look at a pair of poems, using themes and details from the texts.

After reading a map, use the London and Letter in November flashcards to focus on quotations from those poems. Note which details connect with ideas in the map and which might suggest a difference. The flashcard deck English Literature- poetry also includes prompts on content, identity, language, symbolism and imagery.

Organize your comparison

A mind map on this page outlines a comparison structure, including an introduction, paragraphs on each poem, comparisons and a conclusion. It also lists features such as tone, imagery and language. Use it alongside a poem-specific map to connect your observations to a possible written response.

Comparing Poems is a section of Poetry Analysis and Techniques in Literature. Its maps and flashcards provide a way to practice looking at poems side by side within that unit. Choose a pair of poems and make a map of the connections you notice.