How do I compare four poems?

Going on the assumption that you have the four poems that
are to be compared, you will probably want to write a comparison/contrast essay about
them. (See the link below for help with the essay writing.)  In drawing comparisons and
contrasts, you may wish to examine different aspects of the poems.  In order to make an
accurate examination of the poems, you will need to "break the code" of each poem; the
success of doing this lies in understanding the literal meaning and the figurative
meaning of the poems.  What is literal and what is not can shift, depending upon the
context of the poem.  To understand the interweaving of the differing contexts is to
take the greatest step in analyzing poetry.

Moreover, the
most important thing to remember and to recognize is poetic metaphor for metaphor sits
at the center of poetic expression.  Poetic metaphor is a frame of mind, a way of
looking out from an inner world of essentially personal thoughts and feelings.  In the
act of expressing these thoughts and feelings, the poet shares them with the reader or
listener.  So, identify the controlling metaphor of each
poem.  After you identify the controlling metaphor(s), meaning emerges from the
poem(s).

Here are some other points to
consider:

1.  Theme.  While
all the poems you compare may have similar themes, there may be differences in meaning
or expression of this theme.

2.  Form
Are the poems in any kind of traditional form such as ballad, sonnet,
etc?  Are they similar or different?  How do these forms affect the meaning of the
poem?

3.
Language and Literary Devices What metaphors, similes, imagery,
alliteration, connotations, irony, etc. are in the poem?  How do these devices further
the meaning of the poem?

4. Rhythm and Rhyme
Is there a rhyme scheme, what meter is present?  Is there internal rhyme
as well as external?  Do these rhymes, etc. influence the meaning of the
poem?

Before you begin the essay, then, you will want to
list all the elements of each poem and how they contribute to the poem's meaning.  Then
compare and contrast the poems to each other.  As an example, there is a link that
provides you an analysis of a poem.  Good luck!