Name: _________________________________________
6B- _____
Date: _________________________________
Writing: Sample Compare-Contrast Outlines + Essays: Dickinson + Whitman
Directions: Use these sample outlines and essays to help you plan and write your own comparecontrast essays.
Sample Question: Compare and contrast the background and style of Emily Dickinson with that of
Walt Whitman. (Note: The samples below are not based on any particular texts, so the essays don’t refer
to research articles or specific poems, and they don’t rely on quotes. If your assignment asks you to use
text details (and most will), you should provides titles and quotes. These samples are really meant to
highlight form more than content.) I adapted them from an original sample by William H. Sadlier, Inc.
Point-by-Point Form / Similarities and Differences
Plan / Outline:
H: catch reader’s attention on topic
L: (without texts) say why the subject of the essay matters; tie hook to line
I
THESIS: While personally Dickinson and Whitman were quite different from each other, they
both had at least one poetic quality in common.
TS: POINT #1 / Differences (BACKGROUND)
Subject #1: Dickinson
 Hometown: Amherst
 Siblings
 Schooling: College
 Work
Subject #2: Whitman
 Poor
 Siblings
 Schooling: Drop out
 Work
B
TS: POINT #2 / Similarities (STYLE)
Subject #1: Dickinson
 Punctuation, capitalization
 Line length
 Rhyme
 Line breaks
 Untitled
Subject #2: Whitman
 1st-Person Narrative
 Free verse
B
R: Repeat THESIS and TS’s
I.S.: Conclusive transition; text reference; springboard; real-world insight (H.I.S.)
(over)
C
There’s an old expression, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” In other words, when
people steal your stuff, be proud. If you’re a poet, anyway. When people sit down to read a poem 
almost any poem  chances are they’re reading the words of a writer somehow influenced by one of two
great American poets, either Emily Dickinson or Walt Whitman. Why? Because poetry  especially the
good stuff  has the power to penetrate the mind of all who participate in it, or, more simply, the power
to provoke imitation. While personally Dickinson and Whitman were quite different from each other,
they both had at least one poetic quality in common.
More specifically, Dickinson and Whitman had very different early years. For example, Dickinson
was raised in Amherst, Massachusetts, and had two siblings. Her parents always sent her to the best
schools. As a result, she was able to study at Mount Holyoke. Because her family was relatively wealthy,
she did not have to work in order to help them. In contrast to Dickinson’s privileged upbringing,
Whitman came from a very poor family. Unlike Dickinson, he had eight siblings, which made money for
his family very tight. Since he was the second oldest child, Whitman stopped going to school when he
turned eleven years old and began working to support his family. Whitman worked all of his life,
including jobs as a journalist, a teacher, a government clerk, and a nurse in the Civil War.
While the poets’ respective childhoods and formative years stand in stark opposition to one
another, many readers have come to appreciate both writers for challenging the expectations of their
time period with surprising styles. For instance, along with her intriguing content, Dickinson is widely
remembered for her unusual use of dashes and capital letters. In fact, she would often end lines with
dashes and use capital letters in the middle of sentences. Her lines were also inconsistent in length.
Sometimes she would follow a two-syllable line with an eight-syllable line. Furthermore, Dickinson
avoided traditional full rhymes, like “ball” and “tall,” which were typical of poems of the day. She mainly
used slant rhyme  words that look like they rhyme, but that do not, such as “can’t” and “want.”
Dickinson also believed that punctuation could completely change the meaning of a sentence. So, instead
(next)
2
of commas, she used line breaks to move from thought to thought. Finally, her poetry was untitled,
leaving readers to wonder what was its point. Similarly, Walt Whitman created his own style, breaking
away from traditional forms and conventions popular in the poetry of his day. In “Song of Myself,” one of
his most famous pieces, Whitman wrote in first-person narrative, meaning he expressed himself from his
own point of view, using pronouns such as “I,” “me,” and “my.” Readers were unaccustomed to this form,
so they did not like it at first. “Song of Myself” was a part of Whitman’s largest and most well-known
piece of work, Leaves of Grass. Whitman worked on and republished this collection of poetry many times
in his life. He wrote the book in free verse, meaning the poems don’t include regular rhythms or rhymes.
In fact, Whitman is often said to be “the father of free verse.” In other words, he’s known for starting this
trend, which is still well-liked and well-used in contemporary poetry.
In review, Whitman and Dickinson, two of the best poets in recent American history, were quite
different people on a personal level, but they had at least one key likeness when it came to their poetry.
Even though Whitman grew up without Dickinson’s financial advantages, they both became trendsetters
in poetry, daring to speak in voices and forms true to themselves. Ultimately, the similarities and
differences between Dickinson and Whitman illustrate that some of our best poetry, no matter what kind
of person writes it, stands out because it’s uncommon. Ironically, however, when poetry is both
uncommon and uncommonly good, the next thing you know it might very well be imitated everywhere…
and, well, not really quite so uncommon anymore!
(over)
3
Subject-by-Subject Form / Block Form
Plan/Outline:
H: catch reader’s attention on topic
L: (without texts) say why the subject of the essay matters; tie hook to line
I
THESIS: While personally Dickinson and Whitman were quite different from each other, they
both had at least one poetic quality in common.
TS: SUBJECT #1 (DICKINSON)
Point #1: Background
 Hometown: Amherst
 Siblings
 Schooling: College
 Work
Point #2: Style
 Punctuation, capitalization
 Line length
 Rhyme
 Line breaks
 Untitled
B
TS: SUBJECT #2 (WHITMAN)
Point #1: Background (Difference)
 Poor
 Siblings
 Schooling: Drop out
 Work
Point #2: Style (Similarity)
 1st-Person Narrative
 Free verse
B
R: Repeat THESIS and TS’s
I.S.: Conclusive transition; text reference; springboard; real-world insight (H.I.S.)
C
(next)
4
There’s an old expression, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” In other words, when
people steal your stuff, be proud. If you’re a poet, anyway. When people sit down to read a poem 
almost any poem  chances are they’re reading the words of a writer somehow influenced by one of two
great American poets, either Emily Dickinson or Walt Whitman. Why? Because poetry  especially the
good stuff  has the power to penetrate the mind of all who participate in it, or, more simply, the power
to provoke imitation. While personally Dickinson and Whitman were quite different from each other,
they both had at least one poetic quality in common.
More specifically, Dickinson had a privileged childhood, and she developed a unique style with
which she broke the rules of her day. Dickinson was raised in Amherst, Massachusetts, and had two
siblings. Her parents always sent her to the best schools. As a result, she was able to study at Mount
Holyoke. Because her family was relatively wealthy, she did not have to work in order to help them. With
her free time, Dickinson crafted her unique style as a poet. Along with her intriguing content, Dickinson
is widely remembered for her unusual use of dashes and capital letters. In fact, she would often end lines
with dashes and use capital letters in the middle of sentences. Her lines were also inconsistent in length.
Sometimes she would follow a two-syllable line with an eight-syllable line. Furthermore, Dickinson
avoided traditional full rhymes, like “ball” and “tall,” which were typical of poems of the day. She mainly
used slant rhyme  words that look like they rhyme, but that do not, such as “can’t” and “want.”
Dickinson also believed that punctuation could completely change the meaning of a sentence. So, instead
of commas, she used line breaks to move from thought to thought. Finally, her poetry was untitled,
leaving readers to wonder what was its point.
In contrast to Dickinson’s privileged upbringing, Whitman came from a very poor family, but like
her he too challenged the expectations of his time period with a surprising style. Unlike Dickinson,
Whitman had eight siblings, which made money for his family very tight. Since he was the second oldest
child, Whitman stopped going to school when he turned eleven years old and began working to support
(over)
5
his family. Whitman worked all of his life, including jobs as a journalist, a teacher, a government clerk,
and a nurse in the Civil War. Nonetheless, Walt Whitman created his own style, breaking away from
traditional forms and conventions popular in the poetry of his day. In “Song of Myself,” one of his most
famous pieces, Whitman wrote in first-person narrative, meaning he expressed himself from his own
point of view, using pronouns such as “I,” “me,” and “my.” Readers were unaccustomed to this form, so
they did not like it at first. “Song of Myself” was a part of Whitman’s largest and most well-known piece
of work, Leaves of Grass. Whitman worked on and republished this collection of poetry many times in his
life. He wrote the book in free verse, meaning the poems don’t include regular rhythms or rhymes. In fact,
Whitman is often said to be “the father of free verse.” In other words, he’s known for starting this trend,
which is still well-liked and well-used in contemporary poetry.
In review, Whitman and Dickinson, two of the best poets in recent American history, were quite
different people on a personal level, but they had at least one key likeness when it came to their poetry.
Even though Whitman grew up without Dickinson’s financial advantages, they both became trendsetters
in poetry, daring to speak in voices and forms true to themselves. Ultimately, the similarities and
differences between Dickinson and Whitman illustrate that some of our best poetry, no matter what kind
of person writes it, stands out because it’s uncommon. Ironically, however, when poetry is both
uncommon and uncommonly good, the next thing you know it might very well be imitated everywhere…
and, well, not really quite so uncommon anymore!
6