Essay Rough Draft Poetry English 102
Marissa R. York
Professor Michele DeGraffenreid
English 102
13 January 2015
Voices Paint the Perspective
The poem The Unknown Citizen is questioning the moral worth of societies formalities.
This man does everything expected by society; obeying all laws, paying all taxes, etc.
Does this make him a good human being? Did he live a good life? This poem is dealing
with the idea of the modern “man” and weather or not nothing was wrong but if anything
was right? Just because something is not wrong does not mean it is correct. The poem
The Ruined Maid has similar principles and even a similar delivery. This poem discusses
social normality with an ironic tone. During the time period it was written there were
many changes taking place in their society. The ruining, although presented in them
poem negatively through one voice, there is a second positive perspective. These
perspectives are commenting on women’s roles in society and how they were cultivating
with the new culture that was being presented. Both poems use an ironic tone to convey
certain thoughts, but they also differ in devices that separates how effectively ideas are
communicate.
Although a lot of the same devices are used throughout both poems, they come off very
differently in each poem. The first and most noticeable difference would have to be the
difference between Old English and New English. Even though a translation is possible,
the newer English is more easily communicated therefore the poem is easier to
understand, and when understood it is done with greater accuracy. Besides the
“language barrier” when I found the meaning of the second poem I concluded that it was
a commentary on the social structure and how power influenced and corrupted their
“pure” ways. The voice in this story portrays a negative connotation when discussing
how the replacement ways has affected their people and their hometown. But because of
socialization and the power system
Professor Michele DeGraffenreid
English 102
13 January 2015
Voices Paint the Perspective
The poem The Unknown Citizen is questioning the moral worth of societies formalities.
This man does everything expected by society; obeying all laws, paying all taxes, etc.
Does this make him a good human being? Did he live a good life? This poem is dealing
with the idea of the modern “man” and weather or not nothing was wrong but if anything
was right? Just because something is not wrong does not mean it is correct. The poem
The Ruined Maid has similar principles and even a similar delivery. This poem discusses
social normality with an ironic tone. During the time period it was written there were
many changes taking place in their society. The ruining, although presented in them
poem negatively through one voice, there is a second positive perspective. These
perspectives are commenting on women’s roles in society and how they were cultivating
with the new culture that was being presented. Both poems use an ironic tone to convey
certain thoughts, but they also differ in devices that separates how effectively ideas are
communicate.
Although a lot of the same devices are used throughout both poems, they come off very
differently in each poem. The first and most noticeable difference would have to be the
difference between Old English and New English. Even though a translation is possible,
the newer English is more easily communicated therefore the poem is easier to
understand, and when understood it is done with greater accuracy. Besides the
“language barrier” when I found the meaning of the second poem I concluded that it was
a commentary on the social structure and how power influenced and corrupted their
“pure” ways. The voice in this story portrays a negative connotation when discussing
how the replacement ways has affected their people and their hometown. But because of
socialization and the power system