A comparison between to Modern poems Essay

The two poesys that will be compared both bear upon the topic of emeritus age, but each has its declare interpretation on the subject. The first, pattern by Jenny Joseph, is about a woman who wishes to live her life recklessly, instead of aging stereotypically. The second poem, superstar-time(a) Man, sexagenarian Man by U.A. Fanthorpe, expresses the effects of how old age chiffonier dramatically change a persons perspective of their own life.Both poems concern the topic of old age, but after just a single reading of each it is clear that the tone differs tremendously. This is possibly where the most obvious reflectivity tidy sum be made when considering the poems. Warning has a distinctive spirited feeling about it, where as middle-aged Man, Old Man is able to film the feelings of sorrow and remorse felt by the person concerned, with ease. This is an important aspect of any poem, and is a useful tool to assist a poem in its direction.Another important aspect of each of t hese poems is the actual topic of old age, and how it is perceived by the person in question. During Warning, old age is cerebration of as a rather mundane event for a person that signals the end of a life, and allows the person to fade away. This is to a fault very much the grimace in Old Man, Old Man because of its tone, which is more sorrowful than in Warning, which portrays that the sarcastic stereotypical attitude shown in the third stanza of warning is actually a reality for some people. This is where the subject of each of the poems can be clearly seen. Old Man, Old Man is about a man that old age has crept upon, and has produced an unrecognisable person who is quite different from his original character.PastLord once of shed, garage and gardenPresentIve disoriented my hammer.The higher up quotes provide reasonable evidence supporting this idea, as they represent how the man in the poem went from king of his domain- to something quite unrecognisable. However, the woman c oncerned in the poem Warning, shows a great will to change from her present character into what can exclusively be described as a second childhood. It tells us that she is not only willing to become a different person, but that she is willing to attempt to stray away from the stereotypical view of old age.And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves,And satin sandals, and say weve no money for butter.Its not just the tone that adds effect to the poems, but the titles also cut into us further insight into the poems they belong to. In the title Old Man, Old Man, the repeat of old man emphasises the mans age, and the titles repetition within the poem allows us to see that this aspect is quite important. Repetition is used throughout the poem, trying to show us that things such as his missing hammer and that he is unable to find his way to Drury Lane are important to the man in question. They also tell us that he is no longer as independent as he used to be.I can see you, you said to me, but only as a cloud.This comment within the poem explains to the narrator (who is possibly one of the mans children) that the old man acknowledges that they are there, but becomes unaware of them. If we carry on through the final stanzas, we can see that the narrator wishes to assist the old man, but only as a cloud. This means that the old man can receive aid without losing his independence. The previous idea placed before the last quote can be supported as can this idea of having lost independence, without adding ridiculeLet me find your hammer, let me walk with you to Drury lane. I am only a cloud.Warnings title, however, is slightly less obvious, but if it is analysed it can clearly be seen that the poem is not a warning for old age, but of being stereotypical, as this is exactly what the women doesnt want to be. Repetition is also used within Warning, but not to the extent that it was used by Old Man, Old Man. It is used here not only for effect, but to emphasis e things that the writer perhaps feels is important and should be taken into consideration. A good example of this during Warning can be found on the first and last lines,First lineWhen I am an old woman, I shall wear purple.Last lineWhen suddenly I am old, and kill to wear purple.In this context, it shows us that old age will only be realized when she starts doing the things she planned upon doing as an elderly person. This is similar to Old Man, Old Man because within the poem, is a similar realization of old age. The poems mixture of tenses allows us to see this analysis of the aging process this mainly refers to Old Man, Old Man but does occur during Warning.From reading the two poems, I have realised that old age makes a great impact on a persons life, and it is up to them as to how they spend that time. Both Old Man, Old Man by U.A. Fanthorpe and Warning by Jenny Joseph hold off different interpretations of old age from different perspectives. Old Man, Old Man could be seen as the stereotypical form of old age mentioned in Warning, and shows us that the woman doesnt wish to be anything like the man, even though she probably knows thats what she will be. This realization of old age is one thing that each of the poems has in common, although it is an experience in one, and an anticipation in another.Perhaps the poems are related to their writers, and consist of memories or feelings that theyve had towards a relation (in the side of Old Man, Old Man) or even themselves (Warning). Each of the poems express similar use of different tenses, as do they use repetition to effect key sections, which adds depth. The titles of each of the poems also accomplish this, and are important because they set the tone for the poems. Although the content and tone of each of the poems is drastically different, it can be seen that they are really quite similar in the way they explain their opinions and views of old age, and their concerns when considering the topic. Each lea ds to a convincing perception of old age and a valid interpretation of their lives from that point onwards.