Writing Assignment:
Poetry- Comparison/Contrast Essay
Kari Redmond
This writing assignment is part of a genre study on poetry taught to a tenth grade class. Thus far in the
study, we have read several poems, including some on the environment like “The Earth Is All That Will
Remain” and “One Sweet World,” and we have written in response journals about the basic elements of poetry.
This assignment will expand on the students’ understanding of the elements of poetry, as well as prepare them
to write their own poetry. Students will write a comparison/contrast essay based on two poems about snow,
focusing on how the author uses literary craft to convey tone and to establish the relationship between nature
and mankind. After writing this essay, students will begin to craft their own poetry.
We begin by doing a free write on our favorite ways to spend a snow day or how we have fun with
winter weather. The purpose of this is exercise is to get students to examine the tone of their writing. To
prompt this writing I will put several sentence starters on the board: “When I woke up to a snow day I…,” “My
favorite winter sport is….,” “I like snow because…,” “The best winter days are spent….” After this journal
free-writing, the students will have the opportunity to share their writing out loud with the class and discuss
their positive relationships with winter weather. We will discuss the tone of each student journal entry, giving
evidence from the writing. (For example: “What is the tone of Jane’s story?” “How do we know that it is
nostalgic?”) I will model this process by writing in my own journal and sharing about how exciting snow days
are for teachers, too. Following this sharing, I will ask the class to try and recall any personal negative
relationships with winter and to share out loud in a discussion. This writing and speaking exercise will
demonstrate the students’ understanding of the author’s tone.
After the whole-class discussion, I will then read “Snow Day” by Billy Collins aloud to the class.
Snow Day- Billy Collins
Today we woke up to a revolution of snow,
its white flag waving over everything,
the landscape vanished,
not a single mouse to punctuate the blankness,
and beyond these windows
the government buildings smothered,
schools and libraries buried, the post office lost
under the noiseless drift,
the paths of trains softly blocked,
the world fallen under this falling.
In a while I will put on some boots
and step out like someone walking in water,
and the dog will porpoise through the drifts,
and I will shake a laden branch,
sending a cold shower down on us both.
But for now I am a willing prisoner in this house,
a sympathizer with the anarchic cause of snow.
I will make a pot of tea
and listen to the plastic radio on the counter,
as glad as anyone to hear the news
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that the Kiddie Corner School is closed,
the Ding-Dong School, closed,
the All Aboard Children's School, closed,
the Hi-Ho Nursery School, closed,
along with -- some will be delighted to hear -the Toadstool School, the Little School,
Little Sparrows Nursery School,
Little Stars Pre-School, Peas-and-Carrots Day School,
the Tom Thumb Child Center, all closed,
and -- clap your hands -- the Peanuts Play School.
So this is where the children hide all day,
These are the nests where they letter and draw,
where they put on their bright miniature jackets,
all darting and climbing and sliding,
all but the few girls whispering by the fence.
And now I am listening hard
in the grandiose silence of the snow,
trying to hear what those three girls are plotting,
what riot is afoot,
which small queen is about to be brought down.
I will pause after the poem to address any confusion or questions that the poem may bring about. For example, a
student may not understand the term “porpoise.” In this case, I will explain that “porpoise” is a synonym for a
dolphin, and it is used by the poem’s author to add visual imagery for a swimming motion. Students will then
be then given two minutes to do a reader response in their journals. By this point in the year, students will be
familiar with the written reader-response journal activity that merely outlines their initial thoughts and feelings
about the poem, characters, tone, etc.
Next, I will then read the poem “Beyond the Snow Belt” by Mary Oliver, to the class.
Beyond the Snow Belt- Mary Oliver
Over the local stations, one by one,
Announcers list disasters like dark poems
That always happen in the skull of winter.
But once again the storm has passed us by:
Lovely and moderate, the snow lies down
While shouting children hurry back to play,
And scarved and smiling citizens once more
Sweep down their easy paths of pride and welcome.
And what else might we do? Let us be truthful.
Two counties north the storm has taken lives.
Two counties north, to us, is far away, A land of trees, a wing upon a map,
A wild place never visited, - so we
Forget with ease each far mortality.
Peacefully from our frozen yards we watch
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Our children running on the mild white hills.
This is the landscape that we understand, And till the principle of things takes root,
How shall examples move us from our calm?
I do not say that is not a fault.
I only say, except as we have loved,
All news arrives as from a distant land.
After the reading, I will explain “the skull of winter.” I will ask the class to close their eyes and picture what
“the skull of winter” might look like, and I will explain that most likely it refers to the “dead” of winter or the
barren state of winter months, but the image is much left open to personal interpretation. Students are then
asked to respond for two minutes in their journals. I will then re-read both of these poems aloud and ask
students to journal on them for about 5-7 minutes and comment specifically on the poems’ use of imagery, tone,
and symbolism. Since we will have already discussed literary elements in previous units, I will just remind
students by giving them definitions of these literary elements on the board. This will prepare them for the
process of writing a comparison/contrast essay on the two poems.
Following this journaling activity, students will log onto their assigned computer stations and go to
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/compcontrast/. Here they will be asked to click the appropriate tabs as
we go over the required components of compare/contrast essays. For example, under the transitions tab,
students will click on the “over” arrow to explore the lists of different types of possible transition words for
comparison/contrast essays and explore the examples. They will also do this for each tab: definitions,
examples, checklist, and organizing a paper. After students have completed this online exploration into
comparison/contrast, I will direct them to http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/compcontrast/map/. This
website will bring them to an organizational and interactive map for creating comparative/contrast essays. It
directly explains the three different types of compare/contrast essays which are whole, similarities and
differences, and point to point.
I will pull up a sample map that I had previously created showing direct references to the poems and the specific
theme of nature and its relationship with man, imagery, tone, and symbolism. Students will be allowed to
choose their writing method and they will complete the online map using the prompts, the handouts of the
poems for direct references and quotes, and their journal entries on observations. Then I will model the writing
process by showing them the sample essay that I constructed from the graphic organizer. I will draw direct
arrows from the literary elements in the graphic organizer to the coordinating section of the essay to show them
how to adapt the worksheet to their writing.
Upon completing this graphic organizer online, students may print it out and use it to write the first draft
of their essay. I will then hand out a sheet that outlines the assignment and the expectations, as well as a
grading rubric and a comparison/contrast essay checklist.
Man vs. Nature: Comparison/Contrast Essay
Writing Assignment Task:
After reading both of the poems as a class, you will write a comparison/contrast essay based on the relationships
of humans and winter weather and the conflict of man vs. nature. In this essay, use details from each of these
poems to support your thesis. You will incorporate ideas of literary elements such as tone, imagery, and
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symbolism to compare/contrast the poems. Using your map, organize your essay with a distinct structure and
purpose in mind.
Purpose and Audience:
The purpose of this assignment is to develop a deeper understanding of the poetic elements so that we may
create our own poetry. It is also your job to inform readers who have not previously read these poems about
their differences and similarities.
Format:
Your paper should be typed with Times New Roman or Arial font (size 12). The final draft should be at least
one page long with universal margins no larger than one-inch. You will hand in the entire project (writing map,
first draft, peer review worksheet, and final copy) in the provided manila folder. The folder will have your
name, project title, and date on the cover.
Checklist:
Before you hand in this paper make sure you have checked your work. Here are some reminders that may help
you:
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Did I read my paper aloud to myself and to a buddy to check for errors and awkward sentences?
Did I proofread my paper for grammatical errors?
Does my paper have a strong organizational structure?
Does my paper use details (including quotes) from the poems for support?
Is my thesis clear and well written? Does my whole paper support my thesis?
Did I properly use transitions and sentence starters?
Did I include some of the literary elements (tone, imagery, symbolism, theme, conflict)?
Due Dates:
Organizational Map will be done in class on 3/16
First Draft is due 3/21 (we will work on these in class on 3/17 and 3/18)
Peer review will be in class on 3/21
Project folder including Final Copy will be due on 3/25
The checklist will remind students to check their papers for: 1. organization/structure, 2. thesis, 3.
supporting details from the poems, 4. good transitions, 5. proofread for grammatical errors and cohesion. All
first drafts will be peer reviewed, a process that students are proficient at by this point in the school year, and I
will use this opportunity to conduct a mini-lesson on smoothly incorporating details of support from the
literature. Students will then revise their drafts and on the assigned due date they will turn in their “maps,” first
drafts, peer review worksheet, and their final typed draft.
This assignment addresses the NYS English Language Arts Standards, including Standards 2 & 3.
Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.
Students are reading and hearing the poem and writing response entries in their journals. They are also
journaling on their own experiences and sharing this form of expression with the class during whole-class
discussion.
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Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.
Students are forming a pre-writing map based on the poems. They are also writing a comparison/contrast
essay and examining the various forms of man vs. nature conflicts.
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Meaning
Organization
Development
Language
use
Conventions
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5
3
2
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The paper
compares and
contrasts items
clearly. The paper
points to specific
examples to
illustrate the
comparison. The
paper includes only
the information
relevant to the
comparison.
The paper compares
and contrasts items
clearly, but the
supporting
information is
general. The paper
includes only the
information relevant
to the comparison.
The paper
compares and
contrasts items
clearly, but the
supporting
information is
incomplete. The
paper may include
information that is
not relevant to the
comparison.
The paper had
some attempts at
compare and/or
contrasting but it
does not use
support from the
poems. There is
plot summary and
some information
that is not relevant
to the comparison.
Provides no
evidence of
understanding.
The response
makes no
connections
between the poems
and the assigned
task.
The paper breaks
the information into
whole-to-whole,
similarities -todifferences, or
point-by-point
structure. It follows
a consistent order
when discussing
the comparison.
The paper breaks the
information into
whole-to-whole,
similarities -todifferences, or pointby-point structure
but does not follow a
consistent order
when discussing the
comparison.
The paper breaks
the information into
whole-to-whole,
similarities -todifferences, or
point-by-point
structure, but some
information is in
the wrong section.
Some details are
not in a logical or
expected order, and
this distracts the
reader.
There is some
structure but it is
difficult to follow
and does not
follow the wholeto-whole,
similarities-to
differences, or
point-by point
structure.
This paper had
little or no
attempt at
making a
comparison or
contrast between
the two poems. It
has possible
attempts at
understanding the
assigned task, but
there are no true
connections
made.
The paper has a
main idea, but
lacks the focus
and organization
needed.
The paper moves
smoothly from one
idea to the next.
The paper uses
comparison and
contrast to examine
poetic elements.
The paper cites
specific evidence
from the texts.
The paper uses some
literary elements to
compare/contrast the
poems. There is
sometimes evidence
from the texts.
There is an idea of
literary elements,
but there is no
evidence from texts
in the
compare/contrast
essay.
Makes an attempt
at using literary
elements to
compare/contrast
texts.
Does not attempt
to include literary
elements in
paper.
There are no
attempts to literary
elements to
compare/contrast
texts.
The paper uses a
variety of sentence
structures and
transitions.
The paper attempts
some sentence
variety and use of
vocabulary.
There is little or no
variety in sentence
structure or
vocabulary.
There is no variety
in sentence
structure or
vocabulary.
At times the
language is
incoherent.
Writer makes 1-2
errors in grammar or
spelling that distract
the reader from the
content.
Writer makes 3-4
errors in grammar
or spelling that
distract the reader
from the content.
More than 4 errors
in grammar or
spelling that
distract the readers
from the author’s
point.
Uses language
that is
inappropriate for
audience and
purpose or
demonstrates a
lack of meaning.
Demonstrates
lack of control
and lack of
proofreading.
There are
frequent errors
that make the
author’s point
hard to
understand.
Writer makes no
errors in grammar
or spelling that
distract the reader
from the content.
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The paper shows
no organization
nor is there an
attempt to have
structure.
The paper is full of
grammatical and
spelling errors that
make it difficult or
impossible to
understand.
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SAMPLE ESSAY
Kari Redmond
English 10
November 20, 2008
Often, snow is a peaceful blanket that covers our town and silences our busy lives.
“Snow Day” by
Billy Collins shows that snow can be fun and playful, and “Beyond the Snow Belt” by Mary Oliver shows how
snow can also bring people happiness. Both “Snow Day” and “Beyond the Snow Belt” have examples of the
authors’ use of tone, imagery, and symbolism to show readers the positive relationship people can have with
winter weather.
In “Snow Day”, readers gain a sense of playfulness and fun from the tone that Collins establishes. The
overall mood that is set is light and airy, almost childlike. This mood is conveyed through the use of positive
adjectives and simple sentence structure. The poet also uses imagery to portray a happy, lighthearted reaction
to the snow. For example, the descriptive language like: “the dog will porpoise” and “darting and climbing and
sliding” give the reader a feeling of silliness and child’s play. Also, the poet mentions that the speaker is
excited about the several preschools that are closed. This gives the reader the indication that the narrator is
excited for a break. Also, symbolism is used to describe the snow as a “white flag waving over everything.”
This white flag represents the surrender that people must give to the elements, as well as the peaceful feeling
given by snow. These things together indicate that the narrator is happy about the snow because of the snow
day, and in this case the relationship with snow is a positive one.
Similarly, in “Beyond the Snow Belt”, Mary Oliver has set a tone of pleasure and peace in her poem.
The reader gets the impression that the snow is a positive influence on the townspeople through the language
and adjectives such as “lovely and moderate.” Additionally, the poet uses imagery to give readers a picture of
happy people who “sweep down their easy paths of pride and welcome.” In this poem, the bad news arrives
from a radio. The fact that a tragedy is occurring in a far away place is symbolic because the speaker wants to
think that life past the Snow Belt is peaceful and happy. Those bad things happening far away are not really
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affecting the behavior of the speaker or the people who live in her town. The news coming from a radio
represents the physical distance between peace and tragedy.
In conclusion, the two poems have very similar themes of a positive relationship between mankind and
the winter elements. Both “Snow Day” and “Beyond the Snow Belt” show an example of how a poet can use
tone to evoke feelings of playfulness, gaiety, and peace. Additionally, both poems have examples of descriptive
imagery that paint a vivid and joyful picture of winter fun. Finally, both poems contain symbolic language that
the poet uses to maintain a serene setting of winter snow.
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