A guide to comparing two poems on the subject of Hedgehogs, one by Anthony Thwaite, the other by Paul Muldoon

Hedgehog - Critical Essay

The task asks you to compare and contrast the two poems - obviously with a view to discussing themes and how the hedgehog is viewed by both Muldoon and Thwaite - but it also asks you to show how the two poets have used language.

This last instruction is of great importance because when you are not only be expected to talk about the similarities and differences with regard to such things as themes but you must, within such discussions, show how the poets have used language to convey their themes i.e. through choice of diction, image, tone, alliteration, form etc.

What you must try to avoid is:

i) doing two separate critical analyses which offer no comparisons

ii) structuring an essay in a rigid way around themes, tone, diction etc. within which you lose sight of how the subject has been treated - in other words you lose a sense of the poems as a whole

iii) rambling on about general similarities and differences...