Wordsworth And Dunbar Compare And Contrast

In times of distress, it is not strange or out of the ordinary to call upon the people who are widely regarded as leaders or saviors. When in trouble, reaching out to others is one of the first responses, as exemplified through the two poems “London” and “Douglass.” William Wordsworth and Paul Laurence Dunbar live an ocean apart and yet demonstrate how similar two nations are when they struggle with internal conflict. Even though Wordsworth addresses England and Dunbar addresses United States, there are still similarities to be seen. The poems by Wordsworth and Dunbar show the desperate pleas of the speakers for England and the United States through structure, tone, and imagery. The two poems have more in common with each other than not, but it is through their sonnet structure that they are most analogous. The sonnet structure allows the poems to be connected by proposing the problems that their own nations are going through. In “London,” Wordsworth talks about how England had “forfeited their ancient English dower / Of inward happiness.” (5-6) Right away, readers get the sense the speaker is not content with the current state of England, implying that it

Wordsworth and Dunbar both received inspiration from historical figures who have been seen as wise or strong are the perfect people to address. Milton and Douglass are different in terms of person but they are being appealed to because of the same reason: the non-ideal conditions of their nations. Whether it is because of political or social reasons that both nations are in poor form, the authors effectively convey the discord. By the clever use of sonnet structures, varying tones, and corresponding imagery, “London” and “Douglass” share the strife of their countries while keeping themselves diverse and