Comparative Analysis

794 Words4 Pages
Comparative Analysis between: “The Silence of Women" by Liz Rosenberg and “In the Counselor’s Waiting Room” by Bettie Sellers Throughout history poets have used their words to convey messages and draw emotions from their readers. The poets of “The Silence of Women” by Liz Rosenberg and “In the Counselor’s Waiting Room” by Bettie Sellers explore different issues within their poems. Within both poems they share the same theme of gender criticism and a free verse structure; however, the poems have contrasting literary devices and elements. Furthermore, throughout both poems, Rosenberg and Sellers illustrate the theme of gender criticism. In Rosenberg’s poem she mentions: “Old men, as time goes on, grow softer, sweeter, while their wives get angrier” (line 1) which may show a sense of criticism towards women specifically as the refer to the man as growing softer while the wives get angrier. Clearly, this cannot be a generalized assumption amongst women as women are not typically like that. However, women are readily judged due to their gender. As well, the girls in Seller’s poem are condemned for their sexuality because it is out of societal expectations for women. “Who weep for the waste of sturdy hips” (line12) is mentioned in “In the Counselor’s Waiting Room” thus showing that the mothers of the two daughters are criticizing the two girls in the poem. Typically, each gender must be attracted to the opposite sex; but if this is challenged by anyone they are censured and become an outcast in society. Evidently, in the poems mentioned above, being a woman and acting out of societal norms causes others to criticize the individual and condemn them for the choices they have made. Moreover, the literary devices and elements within the poems are quite different. Within “The Silence of Women”, Rosenberg’s diction is effective in that she creates an image and
Open Document