comparison and contrast essay

In this activity you will begin by learning more about two poets and reviewing components of a comparison and contrast essay. You will then have the opportunity to construct a comparison and contrast essay on two selected poems.

Background Information on the poets you will be writing about:

• Listen to the talk: “The Danger of a single story” [Video File] [18 min 46 sec] by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie.
• For some information on the two poets you will be writing about watch the following two video clips:
  • “A day with Wole Soyinka” [Video File] [08 min 02 sec]
  • “Sharon Olds Speaks at the 2008 Poets Forum” [Video File] [03 min 13 sec]

Preparation for writing your essay:

• Read about Comparison and Contrast Essay at the Excelsior College OWL.

When you have completed all preparations for your essay, continue on to the following:

Read the poems “Telephone Conversation” by Wole Soyinka and “On the Subway” by Sharon Olds.

Write a 700 to 800 word essay comparing and contrasting the themes of these two poems. Remember that you should use the close reading method of Module 5 or the explication method of this module to gather evidence and quotes from the poems to support your thesis.