Comparative Essay Prewriting

What Is It?

A comparative essay analyzes the similarities and differences between two or more things.

For our comparative essay, we will be analyzing the use of figurative language in the poems “The Highwayman” and “The Cremation of Sam McGee.”

Maddie- I would like you to fill out your own bubble chart for similes and metaphors found in “The Highwayman.” Please write them on a separate piece of paper, and model them after the samples on the following two slides. Please do not use the simile or metaphor I used in the example.

“The Highwayman” Paragraph One—Prewriting

METAPHOR

Definition of Metaphor:

In general, what are the poem’s metaphors used to describe?{SETTING}

Example 1 and Intended Meaning:“The wind was a torrent of darkness”/The wind pushed the clouds over the moon and created shadows

Example 2 and Intended Meaning:

“The Highwayman” Paragraph Two—Prewriting

SIMILE

Definition of Simile:In general, what are the poem’s similes used to describe?{CHARACTERS}

Example 1 and Intended Meaning:“His hair like moldy hay”/Tim’s hair was dirty, limp, and straw colored. Obviously, he is not the romantic hero.

Example 2 and Intended Meaning:

YOU MUST SAVE THESE PREWRITING CHARTS. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE FOUR ATTACHED TO YOUR FINAL ESSAY, I WILL NOT ACCEPT IT!

Putting It All TogetherThe following MUST be included in your

body paragraphs in order to receive full credit:

1. Author and poem title2. Type of figurative language (simile,

metaphor, etc.)3. Definition of that type4. Two examples5. The meaning of those examples6. How the examples contribute to the

OVERALL description of setting or characters in the poem

ExampleMany authors use figurative language to enhance the tone of their works. A metaphor is one common type of figurative language. A metaphor makes a comparison between two unlike things without using comparative words like “as” or “like.” In his poem “The Highwayman,” Alfred Noyes uses metaphors to enhance the setting. At one point Noyes compares the road to a ribbon of moonlight (Noyes 558). This creates a tone of suspense because, while the road is well lit, there are as many curves in it as a ribbon. The reader does not know what may be coming around those curves without any warning.

Drafting

Now, using your bubble charts as guides, please draft your two body paragraphs that relate to figurative language in “The Highwayman.”

“The Cremation of Sam McGee” Paragraph One—Prewriting

Personification

Definition of Personification:

In general, the poem uses personification to describe the setting. The setting my examples creates is one of ___________. The tone this establishes is_______

Example 1 and Intended Meaning:“The arctic trails have their secret tales”/The arctic has been the sight for many mysterious events.

Example 2 and Intended Meaning:

“The Cremation of Sam McGee” Paragraph One—Prewriting

Hyperbole

Definition of Hyperbole:

In “The Cremation of Sam McGee,” Service uses hyperbole for emphasis and humor. The point that is being exaggerated is_________. Example 1 and

Intended Meaning:“He’d often say in his homely way “he’d sooner live in hell”/Sam is so opposed to the cold, he would put up with anything to be warm

Example 2 and Intended Meaning:

YOU MUST SAVE THESE PREWRITING CHARTS. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE FOUR ATTACHED TO YOUR FINAL ESSAY, I WILL NOT ACCEPT IT!

Putting It All TogetherThe following MUST be included in your body

paragraphs in order to receive full credit:1. Author and poem title2. Type of figurative language (personification,

hyperbole etc.)3. Definition of that type4. A. For personification, the setting those

examples create and the overall toneB. For hyperbole, the point being stressed and made fun of

5. Two examples6. The meaning of those examples

Getting StartedWhile Noyse focuses on similes and

metaphors in his poem, Robert Service’s poem “The Cremation of Sam McGee” uses figurative language in the form of personification and hyperbole. Personification is…

Hyperbole, on the other hand, is an extreme exaggeration. In “The Cremation of Sam McGee,” Service uses hyperbole…