Cranes By Jennifer Ackerman Analysis
Charlotte Grillet
English DP.12 Mr. Maddox
1/26/13
Comparative Essay: Paper 1 Practice
This comparative essay will compare and contrast, “Cranes” by Jennifer Ackerman, and “To a Waterfowl”, by William Cullen Bryant. Both texts revolve around a fascination for birds. Text 1 is an article from National Geographic from 2004; an informative and journalistic article which targets an audience that cares for nature and their environment, and attempts to display how people can aid endangered cranes to discover their migration patterns. “Now, before they are released to the wild, they are being taught the habits of their ancestors with modern techniques pioneered by Operation Migration, an organization devoted to helping endangered birds learn …show more content…
To a Waterfowl intends to express the author’s feelings through a crane’s flight. Its targeted audience is a poem and expresses the author’s feelings to the reader through the flight of a crane. The poem is for an educated and mature audience since it is in old complex English, and talks about sombre topics. In contrast, the article is reporting the crane migration project, so it is for an open audience; it could be for anyone interested in their environment, and in cranes. Text 1 revolves around the idea of preserving the cranes and nature: “restore the bird’s knowledge of the ancient flyaway.”(Line 25) They make a large effort with gliders and camouflage to help the birds migrate, and this displays the significance of nature in text 1. In text 2, the poet asks, “Thy solitary way?”( Line 4), and then in the last stanza answers the question, “ He who, from zone to zone, Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight, In the long way that I must tread alone, Will lead my steps aright.” (Lines 29-32) This means that the poet was questioning the bird’s way of life, yet then sees that the crane can lead him in his solitary life. This entails that we can acquire ways to live by studying nature, so we should protect it so that it can inspire us, so both texts have the same purpose yet are in different …show more content…
Sensory phrases such as crimson sky, weedy lake, rocking billows, abyss of heaven, and chafed ocean side color an image in the reader’s mind, which make the poem alive, and helps the reader, visualize the setting of the flight. When the author personifies the crane as himself, “Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue Thy solitary way?” (Lines 3, 4), he allows the reader to create an emotive connection with the crane, which further engages the reader. Bryant also uses auditory imagery. Because of the rhyming scheme, the reader feels a swaying sensation that depicts the flap of the bird’s wings or the poet’s thoughtful mood. The diction and imagery also set the tone for the poem. The tone for the poem begins calmly, yet as the howler approaches, the tone gets more intense and dramatic, until its imminent death, where the intensity slowly disappears. Both authors use descriptive language and imagery to set the tone and engage their
English DP.12 Mr. Maddox
1/26/13
Comparative Essay: Paper 1 Practice
This comparative essay will compare and contrast, “Cranes” by Jennifer Ackerman, and “To a Waterfowl”, by William Cullen Bryant. Both texts revolve around a fascination for birds. Text 1 is an article from National Geographic from 2004; an informative and journalistic article which targets an audience that cares for nature and their environment, and attempts to display how people can aid endangered cranes to discover their migration patterns. “Now, before they are released to the wild, they are being taught the habits of their ancestors with modern techniques pioneered by Operation Migration, an organization devoted to helping endangered birds learn …show more content…
To a Waterfowl intends to express the author’s feelings through a crane’s flight. Its targeted audience is a poem and expresses the author’s feelings to the reader through the flight of a crane. The poem is for an educated and mature audience since it is in old complex English, and talks about sombre topics. In contrast, the article is reporting the crane migration project, so it is for an open audience; it could be for anyone interested in their environment, and in cranes. Text 1 revolves around the idea of preserving the cranes and nature: “restore the bird’s knowledge of the ancient flyaway.”(Line 25) They make a large effort with gliders and camouflage to help the birds migrate, and this displays the significance of nature in text 1. In text 2, the poet asks, “Thy solitary way?”( Line 4), and then in the last stanza answers the question, “ He who, from zone to zone, Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight, In the long way that I must tread alone, Will lead my steps aright.” (Lines 29-32) This means that the poet was questioning the bird’s way of life, yet then sees that the crane can lead him in his solitary life. This entails that we can acquire ways to live by studying nature, so we should protect it so that it can inspire us, so both texts have the same purpose yet are in different …show more content…
Sensory phrases such as crimson sky, weedy lake, rocking billows, abyss of heaven, and chafed ocean side color an image in the reader’s mind, which make the poem alive, and helps the reader, visualize the setting of the flight. When the author personifies the crane as himself, “Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue Thy solitary way?” (Lines 3, 4), he allows the reader to create an emotive connection with the crane, which further engages the reader. Bryant also uses auditory imagery. Because of the rhyming scheme, the reader feels a swaying sensation that depicts the flap of the bird’s wings or the poet’s thoughtful mood. The diction and imagery also set the tone for the poem. The tone for the poem begins calmly, yet as the howler approaches, the tone gets more intense and dramatic, until its imminent death, where the intensity slowly disappears. Both authors use descriptive language and imagery to set the tone and engage their