Journal 7 - "To a Waterfowl" vs. "The Raven

William Cullen Bryant’s “To a Waterfowl” and Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” can be compared to each other in the sense that they both use the image of a bird as the main figure of the poem. However, the aspects of the poems are very different. “To a Waterfowl” has a peaceful and calm tone. It is a classical writing that shows order. Harmony and calmness are presented in “To a Waterfowl” with certain images such as when the bird “floats along” and when Bryant describes the ocean by saying, “the rocking billows rise and sink on the chafed ocean side.” Also, the setting is dusk by an ocean. This creates an image of a peaceful environment that symbolizes tranquility. Poe’s “The Raven” is a gloomy poem that represents the emotional romantic style of writing. He describes the time of year as “in the bleak December”, which creates an image of a cold time when the days are short. The speaker’s tone makes an impact on the reader in “The Raven”. The speaker comes across as depressed, grief-stricken, and eccentric. This further helps to make the poem more melancholy.