Washington Crossing The Delaware Compare Contrast Essay

Washington Crossing the Delaware Two Different Mediums

How can two pieces of art be named the same exact thing, and be based on the same event but have clashing interpretations? These different mediums are both based on the event in where George Washington crossed the Delaware on Christmas Day. This was during the American Revolution. America lost many battles at this point and Washington knew he was going to need to come up with more surprising tactics. While both the painting and poem convey the same topic, only the poem allows the interpreter to be able to understand the harsh experience in a more personal form.
To begin, the poem and painting describe George Washington differently using dialogue and body language. In the poem, Washington yells “Go!” (Shulman line 7) While in the painting, his proud stance and his uplifted head exert confidence as he leads his men onward into battle. When Washington shouts to his men in the poem, readers can detect he is commanding his men and encouraging them to keep striving for victory, while in the painting,

Washington’s body language is calmer and less urgent. The more effective medium is the poem because it thoroughly expresses the harshness of the situation because his words have more power than his body language.
In addition, this poem and painting differ in their focal points.

In the poem, the central point is George Washington’s crew and the harsh weather conditions. “…Weather stings as in anger.” (Shulman line 3) “He saw his ragged continentals row.” (Shulman line 8) While in the painting the American flag is the focal point. The flag is being held up by two of Washington’s sailors and is the high point of the artwork. The flag is pushing the men onward, because Washington speaks of his soldiers the most in the poem, readers can assume that his crew is the main thing that surrounds Washington. In the painting, the flag might be getting the men through, however, in the poem the men themselves are pushing each other on. The sight of each man’s struggle and dedication makes Washington proud. In this situation being that the focal points differ the poem continues to be the more compelling out of the two differing forms of

art.
To extend, the poem and painting also diverse in whether or not they have enemies. In the poem, Washington refers to the Hessians and Redcoats as threats to his troops. “Redcoats warn slow hint engage.” (Shulman line 6) “A wet crew gain Hessian stronghold.” (Shulman line 12) However in the painting, the onlooker cannot detect or assume of any enemy threats, the only thing that the interpreter can see in the distance are horses. Washington tells the reader that there are enemies ahead. This shows the seriousness of the situation at helps sets the mood for the poem. While in the painting one cannot see any threat to Washington and his men so there is less of a threatened tone in the painting. The poem is the more effective medium in this sense too, because it gives the interpreter more to work with and more knowledge of what is going on.
The poem, “Washington crossing the Delaware” gives more of an insight into the bitter struggle Washington and his troops went through. Although these two mediums are titled the same name and reference the same moment and time in history the portray this scene in two completely different matters. For instance, the poem and painting both differ in dialogue and body language, focal points, and whether or not there are enemies present. In the poem, one can understand the struggle better while the painting gives one a visual to help get an image for the event. One can conclude that poems are the better mediums in understanding situations and tone of certain subject matters. Which do people prefer knowing what is going on in a moment through commentary or visualizing a picture they may or may not portray everything that went down at that event?