Two Poem Comparison
This is a comparison I did on the poems "Fireworks" by Amy Lowell and "It's Raining Love" by Richard Brautigan.
"Fireworks" by Amy Lowell and "It's Raining in Love" by Richard Brautigan are very similar in many ways. For example, they are both about love. Both speakers are unsure of love and afraid to admit their feelings. The speaker of "It's Raining Love" gets so unsure and confused about his feelings, he starts to distrust himself. In "Fireworks" the speaker covers her true feelings by stating she hates her lover. "Such fireworks as we make, we two! Because you hate me and I hate you" (Lowell 21-22). A common theme between the two is that love is not easy. "It makes me nervous" (Brautigan 5). "But whenever I see you I burst apart" (Lowell 3). As with any two items, anyone can find similarities. "Fireworks" and "It's Raining Love" happen to be very similar.
But, along with similarities comes differences. These two poems definitely have a few, too. "It's Raining Love" is more literal and the only use of figurative language in the whole poem is "it's raining somewhere, programming flowers and keeping snails happy" (Brautigan 22-23), while "Fireworks" is one big extended metaphor an has a completely figurative meaning. Her heard does not litterally scatter the sky and she does not actually burst apart; nor does she form shapes and colors in the sky. All that is figurative for her feelings toward her man. The literal meaning of "It's Raining in Love" and the figurative meaning of "Fireworks" add up to get the general tone of the story. Tone is another difference between the two. "Fireworks" has a passionate tone; however, the tone of "It's Raining in Love" is more melancholy. Both poems do contain a shift, though the shifts are of very different feelings. "But whenever I see you, I burst apart" (Lowell 3) switches the tone from hate to love, and later back to hate with "Because you hate me and I hate you" (Lowell 22). The speaker in "It's Raining in Love" goes from being nervous to relieved when he starts by saying "But if a girl likes me a lot" (Brautigan 25-26). Two poems, such as "It's Raining Men" and "Fireworks", even when the subjects are the same, can still contain many differences.
But, along with similarities comes differences. These two poems definitely have a few, too. "It's Raining Love" is more literal and the only use of figurative language in the whole poem is "it's raining somewhere, programming flowers and keeping snails happy" (Brautigan 22-23), while "Fireworks" is one big extended metaphor an has a completely figurative meaning. Her heard does not litterally scatter the sky and she does not actually burst apart; nor does she form shapes and colors in the sky. All that is figurative for her feelings toward her man. The literal meaning of "It's Raining in Love" and the figurative meaning of "Fireworks" add up to get the general tone of the story. Tone is another difference between the two. "Fireworks" has a passionate tone; however, the tone of "It's Raining in Love" is more melancholy. Both poems do contain a shift, though the shifts are of very different feelings. "But whenever I see you, I burst apart" (Lowell 3) switches the tone from hate to love, and later back to hate with "Because you hate me and I hate you" (Lowell 22). The speaker in "It's Raining in Love" goes from being nervous to relieved when he starts by saying "But if a girl likes me a lot" (Brautigan 25-26). Two poems, such as "It's Raining Men" and "Fireworks", even when the subjects are the same, can still contain many differences.
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