Comparison of two pieces based on Daffodils

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Name: Sarah Barendswaard Abubakr                                                Date: 2/01/09

Teacher:  Mrs. Caringcross                                                        Subject: English  

Year: Y12                                                                             Task: essay

Comparison of two pieces based on Daffodils

The two pieces; a diary entry and a poem, are based on the same main theme; Daffodils. Text 1A is the diary entry written by Dorothy Wordsworth in 1802 describing a scene that she has experienced, whereas text 1B is a poem which is based on the entry written by her brother William Wordsworth two years later.

The two pieces have a similar theme which is the appreciation of Daffodils. However Text 1A is very descriptive and concentrates in how the daffodils are ‘so beautiful’ whereas text 1B concentrates at how the sight and memory of daffodils would please you.

‘my heart with pleasure fills’

Dorothy describes the daffodils as being a ‘little colony’ shaped as a ‘long belt’ that is ‘one busy highway’ that has ‘the breadth of a country turnpike.’ We can clearly see that she is using simple diction as this is her private diary. The use of the words ‘highway’ and ‘turnpike’ and the description of the daffodils as they ‘sprung up’ emphasis that the daffodils are active, that they are moving, that they are blooming, growing and reproducing, This indicates that it is around spring time. Dorothy’s entry mainly celebrates the existence of daffodils whereas Williams poem is personal and relates how the daffodils causes his ‘heart with pleasure fills.’ His poem concentrates on how the daffodils would cause you to ‘not but be gay.’ This also celebrates daffodils however in a different perspective; that the daffodils doing or existence makes one happy.

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The poem is personal, it relates the surrounding to an individual, whereas the entry is merely an appreciation of another specie. This creates a feeling of distance between the daffodils and the individual.

Dorothy’s entry is a description of what she experienced, her entry is written in the first person plural as she uses ‘We’ whereas William uses the first person singular ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud,’ We have to look at who the audiences are in both pieces. Williams piece is a poem so his audience would be the public, therefore he has to try and use ...

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