Name: ___________________________________ Date: _____________
Comparing Poets
___ and _______
Directions: Read
annotate the following two poems and then answer the questions
that follow. After that, complete the writing assignment on the back of this sheet.
Sonnet 27
Acquainted with the Night
by William Shakespeare
by Robert Frost
1
Weary with toil, I haste m e to my bed,
2
The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;
3
But then begins a journey in my head,
4
To work my mind, when body's work's expired:
5
For then my thoughts (from far where I abide)
6
Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee,
7
And keep my drooping ey elids open wide,
8
Looking on darkness which the blind do see:
9
Save that my soul's imaginary sight
10 Presents thy shadow to my sightless view,
11
Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night,
12
Makes black night beauteous and her old face new.
13
Lo, thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind,
14
For thee, and for myself, no quiet find.
1
2
3
I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain—and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.
4
5
6
I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my ey es, unwilling to explain.
7
8
9
I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Cam e over houses from another street,
10 But not to call m e back or say good-by e;
11 And further still at an unearthly height,
12 One luminary clock against the sky
13 Proclaim ed the tim e was neither wrong nor right
14 I have been one acquainted with the night.
Comparison Questions
1.
How many lines are in each poem? ________ Both poems are written in the sam e format. What format is it?
_________________________________________________________________________________
2.
What did Frost do with his poem that makes it different from Shakespeare’s in format? ________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
3.
How does the form of each poem contribute to its m eaning? ____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
4.
What is similar about the motif in these poems? _____________________________________________
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Comparing Poets
Directions: In a well-constructed paragraph, compare a line from “Sonnet 27” with a line
from “Acquainted with the Night”. How do these lines demonstrate the different goals
of the poets in their portrayal of the speaker? Be sure to construct a strong thesis
statement. Don’t forget to ___
cite the line numbers from the poems when quoting evidence.