Comparison of 'Cousin Kate' and 'The Seduction'

The first 200 words of this essay...

Jen Pascoe 22nd January 2002

Comparison of 'Cousin Kate' and 'The Seduction'

I will be comparing the poems 'Cousin Kate' by Christina Rosetti and 'The Seduction' by Eileen McAuley. After reading both of these poems I have found that there are many similarities but also many differences.

'The Seduction' and 'Cousin Kate' are both written in a narrative style and set in stanzas. 'Cousin Kate' is split up into six stanzas, each with eight lines. 'Cousin Kate' is in the form of a letter from the maid to Kate to explain how she feels. The first two stanzas talk about meeting the Lord and their relationship. The third and fourth stanzas talk about Kate breaking them up and Kate's relationship. Finally stanzas five and six talk about how the maid feels she is better off than Kate and how she has her son. The poem is split up in this way to give a sense of pace and rhythm. What happens to the girl is predictable and so the rhyming scheme reflects this.

'The Seduction' is split up into fifteen stanzas, 14 with 14 lines each and one with 8 lines.