Compare and Contrast Essay with Blake’s “Chimney Sweeper” Poems A common assignment in all disciplines is to compare and contrast two or more things to discover how they are alike and/or how they are different. In U.S. History students might be asked to compare Jackson and Jefferson, in science students might compare and contrast the results of two similar labs, in music students might compare different pieces of music and their interpretation, in FTA students might compare elementary students to high school students etc. Besides its value in organizing an essay, comparison/contrast is also useful as a technique to structure a paragraph, to define a complex idea, to think about one thing in terms of another (vertebrates vs. invertebrates, World War I vs. World War II, etc., and to make an evaluation. Only similar items can be compared and/or contrasted. The comparison/contrast must be supported by examples. This Power Point will focus on two organizational patterns for this type of writing assignment, but as with all assignments, you should follow the directions as outlined by your instructor.

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 Prove you can analyze texts effectively You must have a purpose for writing the essay—why are you writing the essay? What is your point? When you are getting ready to buy a car you might have specific criteria to compare and contrast. (Teachers-Ask students to generate a list of things they might look for when buying a car.) The purpose of the comparison/contrast might be to get the best value for your dollar, to meet the needs of your budget, to plan for your future etc. As you plan for which college you may want to attend, you’ll compare and contrast specific criteria to make an informed decision. Writing a solid essay takes planning. Remember the Rhetorical Square. If you don’t have a clear idea of why you are comparing or contrasting two things, then you will have difficulty writing a focused paper.

Pre-writing Chart/Table Identify P2s Diction Imagery TONE Chimney Sweeper 1789 Evidence: Chimney Sweeper 1794 This type of graphic organizer works well to help you sort the data for your essay. The number of boxes will change depending on how many points of comparison/ contrast you will include in your paper. You can work with this grid to create the outline for your essay using one of the organizational patterns that will be discussed.

Venn Diagram Chimney Sweeper 1794 Chimney Sweeper 1789 Alike Most of you have probably used a Venn Diagram in the past. With this graphic organizer, you use the overlapping circle to indicate how the items are alike and the outside circles to show how they are different. This method works best when there are only two subjects. 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 Some teachers may ask for a specific thesis pattern and others may allow you to have some freedom in developing your thesis. Also, your ideas may not be completely balanced between comparison and contrast; you may have more similarities than differences or vice versa.

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 1st point-of-view. This pattern is more concise and directs the reader to the major similarity and the major difference. Your thesis does not need to be a list of the similarities and/or differences, but it should provide a point of departure for the reader. 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 Diction Imagery Tone 1789 Poem 1794 2nd Paragraph For the Block Method, your second paragraph would include all of the details from the top of the chart for the BMW, following by all of the details from the bottom of the chart for the Honda. Your conclusion would provide some type of final analysis or evaluation based on the evidence presented in the body paragraphs. 3rd Paragraph

Paragraph Organization—Poem by Poem Diction Imagery Tone 1789 Poem 2nd Paragraph 3rd Paragraph 4th Paragraph 1794 5th Paragraph 6th Paragraph 7th Paragraph You may have too much information to put all of the details in one paragraph. This is another possibility for the BLOCK method.

Paragraph Organization—Poem by Poem (shorter) Diction Imagery Tone 1789 Poem 2nd Paragraph 2nd Paragraph 1794 3rd Paragraph You may have too much information to put all of the details in one paragraph. This is another possibility for the BLOCK method.

Paragraph Organization—Point by Point Diction Imagery Tone 1789 Poem 2nd Paragraph 4th Paragraph 6th Paragraph 1794 3rd Paragraph 5th Paragraph 7th Paragraph Another way of organizing the paragraphs for Point by Point.

Paragraph Organization--Point by Point (Shorter) 2nd Paragraph 3rd Paragraph 4th Paragraph Diction Imagery Tone 1789 Poem ↓ 1795 For the Point by Point Method, your second paragraph will include all of the details about the price of the car for both the BMW and the Honda Civic, your third paragraph will include the all the details about the mileage for both the BMW and the Honda Civic, the 4th paragraph will include the details about the insurance for both the BMW and the Honda Civic, and your conclusion will make some final analysis or evaluation about the cars based on the evidence provided in the body paragraphs.

Outline – Poem by Poem Method (mini-poem analysis) 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? Paragraph 1. Introduction a) Essential Background Information b) Thesis Paragraph 2. 1794 poem a) Diction b) Imagery c) Tone Paragraph 3. 1789 poem This method is also referred to as Subject by Subject or Whole to Whole. With this pattern (AB,AAA,BBB,AB A = Person or Place, Thing, Idea #1 and B = Person or Place, Thing, Idea # 2 ) you first discuss all of the details for one subject, in this case the BMW, and then all of the details for the second subject, the Honda Civic. The conclusion will reach some sort of final evaluation about the items you have chosen for your paper. If you were writing about cars, you might conclude your paper by making a selection based on the criteria. For example: Based on the excellent mileage, the low cost of insurance, and the price of the vehicle, the Honda Civic will definitely be my choice when I buy a new car.

Outline - Point by Point (organized by P2) Paragraph 4. Tone a) 1789 b) 1794 Compare/Contrast in paragraph Paragraph 5. Conclusion a) Emphasize Major Ties b) So What? 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. Paragraph 1. Introduction a) Essential Background Information b) Thesis Paragraph 2. Diction a) 1789 poem b) 1794 poem Compare/Contrast in paragraph Paragraph 3. Imagery a) 1789 b) 1794 In this pattern AB, AB, AB, AB you provide details about both your subjects in each paragraph. You should follow the same order in each paragraph as well. For example if you begin by discussing the BMW each subsequent paragraph should begin with the details for the BMW. Another pattern, also known as Modified Block (AB, SSS, DDD, AB) introduces the two persons or things in the first paragraph, then focuses on their similarities in the second paragraph, then focus on their differences in the third paragraph, and finally returns to summarize the comparison and contrast. Choose a pattern that fits your topic and the length of the paper and stick with it.

Outline - Point by Point (Similarities/Differences) 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. 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 In this pattern AB, AB, AB, AB you provide details about both your subjects in each paragraph. You should follow the same order in each paragraph as well. For example if you begin by discussing the BMW each subsequent paragraph should begin with the details for the BMW. Another pattern, also known as Modified Block (AB, SSS, DDD, AB) introduces the two persons or things in the first paragraph, then focuses on their similarities in the second paragraph, then focus on their differences in the third paragraph, and finally returns to summarize the comparison and contrast. Choose a pattern that fits your topic and the length of the paper and stick with it.

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

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 Read and consider William Blake’s two “Chimney Sweeper” poems. 1. Construct a Venn Diagram comparing/contrasting at least two different P2s. 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?