The exploration of poets’ individual approach to the world around them is aided through the vocabulary and punctuation they use in their poems. .Clare composed the poem using just two sentences which create a sense of continuity to his thoughts. He uses hyphens and commas to slow down the pace of the poem and add further meaning; “my woes-/ They rise and vanish”, the pause helps the reader to reflect on the insightful meaning and understand better what the poet was feeling. The vocabulary he uses is very specific, which helps to reveal his true emotion. He suggests that his feelings have been “tossed” and “lost”, creating an impression of crushing water on shore. This choice of assonance helps the reader to imagine the confusion of the poet created by a chaotic image of the sea. The language used by Clare varies from the one used by Hardy. “The Darkling Thrush” was written in language of a carol, which enabled to poet to create a feeling of hope and change. Hardy creates a sense of slight optimism which is reinforced by “ecstatic sound” and “household fires”. The use of domestic vocabulary helps the reader to engage with the idea’s of the poet. Hardy has also coined new words in his poem. “outleant” and “spectre-gray” were created to reflect the melancholy of the poet. Both of the poets make their recollections more personal by referring to themselves as “I”. Hardy emphasises how he “was unaware” but at the same time “fervourless” which reinforce the hidden faith and eagrness. Clare uses the repetition of “I am” to reassure himself throughout the poem about his personal existence. In Clare’s poem the use of “I am” also has religious connotations reinforcing the poet’s dependence and hope to unite with [his] “Creator”.
Layout and structure of the poems is another device used by both poets to reinforce their personal approaches to the world. “I am” is composed from three stanzas, each one referring to the separate stage the poet tries to overcome in his life in order to deal with his loneliness. This structure helps Clare to organise his thoughts and feelings, the first part of the poem depicts how he “lives” and the last one what he “longs” for. This division helps the audience to engage with his subjective experience. The divisions between the different stanzas enable the audience to realise how isolated the poet’s life must have been. The lines are slightly spaced out which reinforce the idea of the poet’s feelings being unfixed and being subject to constant change. Similar technique is used by Hardy; however in his poem it creates an illusion of continuity and hope. The poem is constructed from four stanzas with clear breaks between each one. The splits between each one slow down the pace and helps to emphasise the importance of particular lines. This is very significant in after the second stanza where line 16 opens with “At once” creating an immediate change of atmosphere of the poem.
Varied tone is used by the poets to establish deeper meaning to their experiences. “The Darkling Thrush” employs a quiet and settled voice, which resembles a private conversation, although the poet contemplates on universal issues. The poet speculates how “all mankind” and “every spirit upon earth” are going to be affected by this shift from the Victorian age to the modern times. Clare’s poem also uses a personal tone to reflect his ideas, this is emphasised when the Clare refers to “my life” and “my woes” which make the poem appear more personal. The tone in “I Am” is poignant and expresses the poet’s complete desperation about his current situation. Clare recalls the “nothingness of scorn” which helps the audience to imagine the misery and complete anguish the poet felt. The tones in the poems help to gain further understanding about the self-conception of the poets.
Rhythm and rhyme are also a significant method for the poets to effectively covey their knowledge about their individual status.. In “I am” Clare uses regular rhyming throughout the poem. The repetitive pattern expresses the pertinence of Clare’s emotions. The steady rhythm in the poem suggests the idea of constraint and limitation to freedom. Clare’s choice to present poem in this form was used purposeful, to contrast it with the built up idea of freedom and chaos of his thoughts. This structure emphasizes his struggle to overcome boundaries and how restricted he feels within the world. Hardy on the other hand, uses a consistent rhyme scheme throughout the first stanza, which helps to create a feeling of a “full hearted even song”. This steadiness helps to embody hope for the new century. However in second stanza the pace is slowed down by comparing describing the century as “shr[inking] hard and dry”. The hard sound of the words creates connotations of death and deterioration.
Both of the poems were written for a particular audience with a definite purpose. “The Darkling Thrush” is a transitional poem illustrating the doubt of the public about their future. It was aimed at the people at the time and could have provided them with reassurance by giving “some blessed Hope” about the new era. Clare’s poem, on the other hand, expresses the poet’s personal fight with his worries. This could have provided comfort for the reader at the time as well as now to those who are concerned with their individual existence in this world.
