The men involved in the scenarios were of different status. One was upper class and the one in “The seduction” was a contemporary teenager with a habit. The time period also causes us to believe that a youngster from 1991 can do something stupid like that but a lord in the 19th century is harder to believe. This is because unfaithfulness and betrayal have become more popular as time has moved on. Incidents like this have occurred more in 1991 however in the 19th century they were exceptional therefore to believe a lord seduced a women in this way is hard to believe.
The “Cottage maiden” was glad she was pregnant “My fair- haired son my shame, my pride” she never felt shame but others did “To lead a shameless shameful life”. She loved her child and felt that she had a possession the Lord could never own “Yet I’ve a gift you have not got, And seem not like to get”. The “Cottage maiden” believes she is now an “unclean thing,” no longer innocent but dirty and used, the line ‘Who might have been a dove’ backups the above, as doves are related to peace and cleanliness, but she is no longer able to be this. Whereas the girl in the seduction hated the fact of being pregnant and she regretted what happened that night “When she discovered she was 3 months gone, She sobbed in the cool, locked darkness of her room”.
The “Cottage maiden” disputed the fact that he used her for pleasure. However the girl in ‘Seduction’ also feels she is no longer innocent and clean as she ‘ripped up all her ‘Jackie’ and ‘my guy’ magazines up.’ These magazines were made and perceived to be for innocent girls and she obviously feels she no longer deserves them, as she is no longer innocent. She regrets every little detail from this day and can't bear the fact she experienced it.
The language used for “Cousin Kate” is language that would hardly be used to write a poem in that time period. Christina Rossetti uses metaphors such as “His plaything and his love. He wore me like a silken knot, He wore me like a glove”.
“Cousin Kate,” is written in the first person narrative, which makes the Girl’s feelings more directed and it therefore creates intensity for the reader, as the reader feels sympathetic. Also there is a sense of a real person talking that suggests that the poem is true. “The Seduction,” on the other hand is written in the first person narrative that makes the poem more balanced and the poem tells us both the boy’s thoughts and actions. “The seduction” has many words and phrases rather then metaphors. The structures of the two poems are similar as both of them have verses where every other line rhymes with each other. “The seduction” consists of 16 verses (each verse has four lines) while ‘Cousin Kate’ has four verses but each verse ranges from 8-18 lines. The two poems are similar as the basic outline has the same themes and structure. The poems both contain different aspects of deceit.
Its imagery is more focused on a teenager’s imaginary world “Stories from teenage magazines”. Cousin Kate’s imagery is that the rich gain all the pleasure whilst the poor suffer the pain “Yet I’ve a gift you have not got, And seem not like to get: For all your clothes and wedding-ring I’ve little doubt you fret”. This basically means that the “Cottage maiden” has something Cousin Kate has not and is not likely to have, however Cousin Kate has wealth and the fact she wont have kids will not bother her.
Overall I think the two poems are similar in some ways but generally are completely different. They are different because the “Cottage maiden” loves being pregnant as she feels she has one thing the lord will never have and in “the seduction” the innocent girl is disgusted by the consequence of that one night. Magazines and dreams of the prefect love she just seemed to have gained lured her on “Where a stranger could lead you to bright new worlds. And how would you know, if you never took the chance” but all this soon changed when it meant nothing but a shameful event “Better to destroy your life in modern, man-made ways, Then to fall into this despicable, feminine void”. Basically she has nothing to look forward to like the “Cottage maiden” whose pride is her child. Both poems have a different imagery I believe “The seduction” shows how you can make stupid mistakes when not thinking right and under the influence of alcohol, therefore you should think before you act as it may lead to one of the worst aspects of your life. I also believe that “Cousin Kate” focuses on the status of people and how wealth can affect peoples lives this seems as a more relevant imagery for that time as status and wealth does not mean a lot at the time of “The seduction”. After considering the comparisons and contrasts I have made I think the characters show different ways to express their feelings but they are both abused in a very low and ill manner.
