Compare and Contrast Two Poems

SCRATCH OUTLINE

I . Introduction - 35 /10 ' and Ethics ' each deal with time and cycles

II . 35 /10 ' - Mother /daughter relationship

Mother realizes she is aging

Mother will be replaced by daughter , as natural cycle

III . Ethics ' - Reflects upon the passage of time and importance

Questions the value of art and people

Echoes the natural cycle of life and time

IV . Conclusion - Both poems use similar techniques to discover natural cyclical time

The mysteries of life and death have long provided inspiration to poets . Born out of

observation and fueled by philosophy and faith , from the earliest words of ancient wordsmiths to the wrenching imagery of contemporary poets , the passage of time , of life , is a theme that dominates the literary canon . Evidence of this is can be seen in the distinctive works of Sharon Olds and Linda Pastan , who in their poems 35 /10 ' and Ethics ' remind readers that time stops for no one . In these poems , though different in subject matter and tone , each poet manages to convey the feeling on impermanence , while offering solace in the inevitable spirit of rejuvenation

In her poem 35 /10 ' Sharon Olds portrays the thoughts of a mother that sees the passage of time before her . As the mother stands in front of the mirror , she is stricken with her own aging , noticing the contrast between her daughter 's silken brown hair ' and the grey gleaming of her own (Olds 75 . The mother , age 35 , suddenly becomes aware of her own aging and reflects on her 10-year-old daughter 's station in life This leads her to question Why is it / just as we begin to go / they begin to arrive , the fold in my neck / clarifying as the fine bones of her hips sharpen (Olds 75 . The reflective tone , echoed by the reflections in the mirror , hints at the cosmic irony of aging but couples it with affirmation of the cyclical nature of existence

Linda Pastan 's poem Ethics ' is very similar to 35 /10 ' in its confessional tone , imagery , and the reflections upon time passed . The speaker recounts a question of morality the teacher would ask every fall . The question if there were a fire in a museum / which would you save , a Rembrandt painting / or an old woman who hadn 't many / years left anyhow ' forces the reader to consider not only the value of life , of people and objects , but also the passage of time itself (Pastan . Much like 35 /10 ' Ethics ' also reminds the reader of time and the cyclical nature of life . The opening lines describe a distant past and the cycles of nature that mark each year : In ethics class so many years ago / our teacher asked this question every fall ' From the opening , the reader is asked to consider collected time , and reminded about natural cycles , in this case autumn , which itself often represents a time of reflection while nature dies to be reborn again in the spring The theme of autumn is repeated...