ENGLISH LITERATURE - Comparative Essay

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Compare how relationships are presented in mother any distance by Simon Armitage with one poem by Carol Ann Duffy and 2 poems from the pre 1914 poetry bank

A relationship is a particular type of connection existing between blood related, married people and/or people who have dealings with each other. “Mother any distance” is a poem written by Simon Armitage. In the poem the relationship displayed by the writer is of a mother and son relationship.  The years are unreeling between mother and son but the bond will never be broken. Anne Hathaway by Carol Anne Duffy shows the relationship between the famous couple of Anne Hathaway (who was a real woman) and her husband Shakespeare. This relationship is of a marriage one unlike in “Mother any distance.” However, the poet in many ways explores a similar idea. “Sonnet 130” written by Shakespeare also shows a relationship however without the use of love poetry. My last Dutchess is a poem written by Robert Browning and in this poem relationship is also portrayed, however, what we are presented with initially does not tell the whole truth.

The tape measure symbolizes the timeline e.g. his mother was there at the start and has been with him all the way through. His mum will always think of him as her baby/child no matter how much time passes between them. The tape measure could symbolize the umbilical cord between mother and child. The poem explores the emotional connection of mother and child. The tape measure becomes a metaphor for this. Now the child is ready to let go, but is unsure whether he can succeed on his own. The years are unreeling between mother and son but the bond will never be broken. The tape measure could symbolize the umbilical cord between mother and child. The double meanings used in the poem relates to the question because it shows how she still feels the connection between the two of them (mother and son). The first two lines show that he needs help with the house but also symbolizes that he can be any distance from his mum but she will always be there for him. The kite represents Simon Armitage and his ascension through life and the anchor represents his mother as she is holding a stable base for him if he ever needs her. The poem is about him buying a house and his mum coming to help him, this shows us that even when he moves on he is still dependent on her. Zero ends can mean 2 things she was there at the start or it could mean she was left with nothing.

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The sonnet form of the poem “Ann Hathaway” is a tribute to Shakespeare – who wrote many love sonnets in his lifetime. Shakespeare was known for his significant work with sonnets. This poem is written in sonnet form. This sonnet can be described as a tribute to her lost husband who devoted his life to sonnets and poetry. The lines in this poem are written in iambic pentameter meaning the syllables in each line amount to 10. Iambic pentameter is the closet form of poetry to natural speech. This allows the reader to relate to the poem which is more ...

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