- Published: November 15, 2021
- Updated: November 15, 2021
- University / College: Boston University
- Language: English
- Downloads: 19
“ After Midnight” vs. “ Summer Night” The poems “ After Midnight”, by Louis Simpson, and “ Summer Night”, by Antonio Machado, both had their differences and similarities. First of all, both the poems have a visual image of dark elements. However, the poem uses imagery for dark houses. “ Who lives in these dark houses? ” (Simpson 9). This quote shows that the poem uses imagery for dark houses, which differentiates from the poem “ Summer Night”. This poem uses imagery for black shadows. “ Stone benches, burning bush, and acacias / trace their black shadows / symmetrically on the white sand. (Machado 6-8). This quote uses imagery by using the words “ black shadow”. These two words refer to a type of darkness. Both poems use imagery for dark elements, but both the poems use the dark element with different words. Secondly, both the poems include a type of lonely feeling; however, they both differentiate in their own way because of the choice of words used by the authors. The poem “ Summer Night” uses different wording to imply the loneliness. “ I walk through this ancient village, / alone, like a ghost. ” (Machado 11-12).
In this quote from the poem, the word that intends a lonely feeling is “ alone”. This word is used along with a simile, comparing loneliness like a ghost, which distinguishes from the poem “ After Midnight”. In this poem, the choice of wording is different. “ I am suddenly aware / I might live here myself. ” (Simpson 8-9). This quote uses the word “ myself” to infer a lonely feeling. In this case, the loneliness is not compared to anything like the other poem. Both poems however have a lonely feeling, but both differentiate due to a choice of words.
Lastly, when comparing the two, both poems are using the poetic device, simile. In the poem “ After Midnight”, the quote “ With only a drugstore glowing / Softly, like a sleeping body”, (Simpson 2-3) shows that the simile used is referring to the drugstore’s glow, which is being compared to a sleeping body. The poem “ Summer Night uses simile in the quote “ I walk through this ancient village, / alone, like a ghost. ” (Machado 11-12). This quote is referring to the narrator’s loneliness. The simile is used to compare the loneliness to a ghost.
Both quotes however are using the poetic device, simile. The two poems “ After Midnight” and “ Summer Night” are both very interesting poems that include different elements, making each poem unique; however, both poems have their similarities and differences; both poems use imagery for a dark element, but the dark element is different in both case; both poems include a lonely feeling at the same time both authors have worded their poems accordingly to their writing style; and both poems include a simile by comparing two things together using “ like” or “ as”.