Comparing and contrasting can be an easy task, just as it can be a difficult one. I have chosen to compare and contrast two poems from the Age of Realism and the Romantic Era. The first poem I have chosen is The Lotos-Eaters by Lord Alfred Tennyson, and the second poem I have chosen is On First Looking into Chapman's Homer by John Keats. .
In comparing the two poems one can notice the use of iambic pentameter, which was first innovated by William Shakespeare and his sonnets as well his plays. Both authors talk about their travels across the world and the coming across different lands and peoples.
When contrasting the two poems it is easy to take notice of the length of both poems. The Lotos-Eaters is much longer than that of On First Looking into Chapman's Homer and after further review one finds that Lord Alfred Tennyson doesn't use the common Elizabethan Sonnet format. Instead of the usual fourteen lines, he uses nine lines in each stanza. Other than the formatting of the poems, the given stories are different. Keats discusses the translation of Homer's Odyssey done by Chapman and how it changed his view of the world. He tells his story of how he traveled across the globe and met a variety of different people, also how he had heard of Homer's lands, but did not realize, until analyzing Chapman's version, how much of an impression it could have on a person.
Lord Alfred varies from Keats in that he tells of a story in which he comes across a new land with his crew that seems to be ever so wonderful. It is unsure, to the reader, just how long they stayed in this paradise, but he goes into great detail about the luxurious area. Take for instance this quote, .
"A land of streams! Some, like a downward smoke,.
Slow-dropping veils of thinnest lawn did go;.
And some through wavering lights and shadows broke,.
Rolling a slumberous sheet of foam below.
They saw the gleaming river seaward flow.