The Two Poems

The Two Poems

By: R G

There are two poems that we read in class. “I Love the Look of Words” is a poem by Maya Angelou and “Cleaning the Well” by Paul Ruffin. In “I Love the Look of Words,” the speaker compares eating popcorn to reading a book. In “Cleaning the Well,” the speaker recalls a childhood memory of the day his grandfather asked him to clean the well. “Cleaning the Well” is my favorite for many reasons. In this essay, I will provide the similarities and differences of the two poems and state which one I like the best and why.

The two poems have many things in common. Both of these poems are written in the first person. That means that both poems are written from the point of view of the speaker. Also, vivid imagery was used in both. “Cleaning the Well,” Lines 11-13: “The sky hovered like some pale moon above, eclipsed by this heavy red face bellowing down to me not to dally.” “I Love the Look of Words,” Lines 11-14: “like the sweet smell of butter perfuming my fingers long after the popcorn is finished.” Finally, they both have a strong idea for the poem. A comparison is a great thing to write about and a memory is a great moment to experience on paper.

The two poems have many differences too. “Cleaning the Well” takes you back in time to a moment in someone’s history that was worth writing about. “I Love the Look of Words” stays in the present and takes two different things and shows the similarities. The poem by Maya Angelou has similes comparing eating popcorn and reading a book. But the poem by Paul Ruffin doesn’t contain any similes as it focuses on creating a picture. “Cleaning the Well” provides a clear and important message. Finally, the layout/format of the poems are different as one has more stanzas. As you can see, the is a huge difference between the two poems.

I like the poem “Cleaning the Well” the most out of the two mostly for a few main reasons. First, this poem takes you to a different time period where things are different from the present. You can learn about how the people in the past had to get their water from a well and clean their own well. I also like that this poem has a certain theme/ important message that proves that everything cannot be done perfectly. This is proven in lines 34-37. I like this poem the most because of the great format. It’s still a poem, though it is not separated into many stanzas and doesn’t have a rhyme scheme. Finally, the poem uses vivid imagery to paint a picture that I can clearly see in my mind.

            I like “Cleaning the Well” more because of it’s time period, vivid imagery, important message, and poetic freedom. The poet is free to choose a certain format, provide a certain message, paint a vivid picture, and take you back in time. I think that Paul Ruffin is a great poet who can take different ideas and make them into a piece of writing. Though I do not know who he is, I appreciate the knowledge he has given me through this poem.