Compare and Contrast Essay with Blakes Chimney Sweeper

Compare and Contrast Essay with Blake’s “Chimney Sweeper” Poems

PROMPT: The poems below, published in 1789 and 1794, were written by William Blake in response to the condition of chimney sweeps. Usually small children were forced inside chimneys to clean their interiors. Read the two poems carefully. Then, in a well-written essay, compare and contrast the two poems, taking into consideration the poetic techniques Blake uses in each.

What is the Purpose of the Compare/Contrast Essay? • To show the similarities between at least two things and • To show the difference between two things and • Prove you can analyze texts effectively

Pre-writing • Chart/Table • Identify P 2 s Diction Imagery TONE Chimney Sweeper 1789 Evidence: Chimney Sweeper 1794 Evidence:

Venn Diagram Chimney Sweeper 1794 Alike Chimney Sweeper 1789

Writing a Thesis Statement • Review the poems and spot patterns of similarities and differences • Decide to what extent you will stress the similarities between your subjects and to what extent you will stress their differences • Create a thesis statement that reflects that decision

Weak Thesis Statements • Both poems are somewhat alike and somewhat different. • I can see some similarities and some differences too. • Both of them involve (only a single similarity, no differences).

PROMPT: The poems below, published in 1789 and 1794, were written by William Blake in response to the condition of chimney sweeps. Usually small children were forced inside chimneys to clean their interiors. Read the two poems carefully. Then, in a well-written essay, compare and contrast the two poems, taking into consideration the poetic techniques Blake uses in each.

Better Thesis Pattern While both the 1789 and 1794 iterations of Blake’s “Chimney Sweeper” address similar subjects of working class children with contrasting imagery of light and dark, the 1794 version expresses a harsh condemnation of religious authority via emotionally detached diction as opposed to the 1789 poem that suggests religious redemption for child workers by means of a naïve 1 st point-of-view. RED: SIMILARITIES (COMPARE) BLUE: 1794 DIFFERENCE (CONTRAST) GREEN: 1789 DIFFERENCE (CONTRAST)

How might we organize the essay? • In text-by-text, you discuss all of A, then all of B. • In our case, poem-by-poem • In point-by-point, you alternate points about A with comparable points about B.

Paragraph Organization—Poem by Poem 2 nd Paragraph Diction 1789 Poem 1794 Poem 3 rd Paragraph Imagery Tone

Paragraph Organization—Poem by Poem Diction 1789 Poem 1794 Poem Imagery Tone 2 nd 3 rd Paragraph 4 th Paragraph 5 th 6 th Paragraph 7 th Paragraph

Paragraph Organization—Poem by Poem (shorter) Diction 1789 Poem 1794 Poem Imagery Tone 2 nd Paragraph 3 rd Paragraph

Paragraph Organization—Point by Point Diction Imagery Tone 1789 Poem 2 nd 4 th Paragraph 6 th Paragraph 1794 Poem 3 rd 5 th Paragraph 7 th Paragraph

Paragraph Organization--Point by Point (Shorter) 2 nd Paragraph Diction 3 rd Paragraph Imagery 4 th Paragraph Tone 1789 Poem ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ 1795 Poem ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

Outline – Poem by Poem Method (mini-poem analysis) Paragraph 1. Introduction a) Essential Background Information b) Thesis Paragraph 2. 1794 poem a) Diction b) Imagery c) Tone Paragraph 3. 1789 poem a) Diction b) Imagery c) Tone Paragraph 4. Comparisons/Contrasts a) Comparisons, and/or b) Contrasts *DO NOT SIMPLY REPEAT YOURSELF. GIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF SIMILARITIES/DIFFERENCES Paragraph 5. Conclusion a) Emphasize Major Ties b) So What?

Outline - Point by Point (organized by P 2) Paragraph 1. Introduction a) Essential Background Information b) Thesis Paragraph 2. Diction a) 1789 poem b) 1794 poem Paragraph 4. Tone a) 1789 b) 1794 Compare/Contrast in paragraph Paragraph 5. Conclusion a) Emphasize Major Ties b) So What? Compare/Contrast in paragraph Paragraph 3. Imagery a) 1789 b) 1794 Compare/Contrast in paragraph Note: Be sure to include transitions. Also, you may split paragraphs into shorter ones depending on controlling idea. AVOID 5 paragraph, cookie-cutter essay. Consider how you want your argument to proceed.

Outline - Point by Point (Similarities/Differences) Paragraph 1. Introduction a) Essential Background Information b) Thesis Paragraph 2. Comparisons/Similarities a) Diction (1789 vs. 1794) b) Imagery (1789 vs. 1794) Compare/Contrast in paragraph Paragraph 3. Contrasts/Differences a) Diction (1789 vs. 1794) b) Imagery (1789 vs. 1794) Compare/Contrast in paragraph Paragraph 4. Conclusion a) Emphasize Major Ties b) So What? c) Evaluation Note: Be sure to include transitions. Also, you may split paragraphs into shorter ones depending on controlling idea. AVOID 5 paragraph, cookie-cutter essay. Consider how you want your argument to proceed.

Transition Words/Phrases Transitional words and phrases: • helps papers read more smoothly • provide logical organization and comprehension • improve the connections and transitions between thoughts • Not only is it important to use these between paragraphs, it is also essential to use within paragraphs when shifting ideas or evidence.

Transition Words • Nonetheless Contrast: • A clear difference • On one hand • Rather • But • Whereas • Despite • The antithesis of • Even though • On the contrary • For all that • Yet • However • In another way • Instead • Nevertheless Comparison: • Additionally • In the same way • By the same token • Similarly • In like manner • Likewise • In similar fashion • …have in common… • Comparatively • Moreover • Still another Both: • By the same token • Conversely • Likewise • On the other hand • Rather • Similarly • Yet • However • Nevertheless • While __, ___

Avoiding “Velcro” transitions • Velcro transitions insult and bore the reader by pointing out the obvious, generally in a canned and pompous way. Here are some examples: • Examples: • It is also important to note that. . . • Thus, it can be said that. . . • Another important aspect to realize is that. . . • Also, this shows that. . . • In other words, be aware that, in a well-crafted essay, every sentence is a transitional sentence. • http: //writingcenter. fas. harvard. edu/pages/transitioning-beware-velcro

Read and consider William Blake’s two “Chimney Sweeper” poems. 1. Construct a Venn Diagram comparing/contrasting at least two different P 2 s. 2. Write a thesis statement in which you answer the prompt on the top of page 1 of your packet.

Read all of the sample AP Poetry Compare/Contrast essays for the Blake poems. 1. Determine the organizational pattern of each 2. Evaluate the essays on the AP grading rubric. What would you commend or change in the essays?