Poem A, "Death Mask by edward Field" and poem B, When "Death Comes by Mary Oliver".

Both poets share totally far off perspective towards death. Poem A provides a pessimist point of view while poem B shows a rather optimism way of looking at death. Poem A uses visual imagery to compare old age with death. The first 4 stanzas of poem A compares himself with his deceased grandfather, relating to old age and rejecting death as seen from ' Whose grandfather is that?/I don't want him.' This visual imagery allows the persona to see death in-front of his eyes when he is aged. However, by comparing with poem B, the poet relates death with nature rather then comparing a definite look of death. 'When death comes/like the hungry bear in autumn' A hungry bear is probably unpredictable and it will react to his nature' call . In this way, poet A is obviously showing reluctancy towards death unlike poet B which takes death as it comes. Poem A also has auditory imagery. 'a lazy buzz' tell the readers The intensity of death. How life is brought to an end just like a lazy buzz which starts of loud followed by soft and to nothing(death). In poem B, auditory imagery provides a similar meaning as poem A. Poem A compares death using music: 'and each name a comfortable music in the mouth, tending, as all music does, toward silence. Despite the similarity, there is a difference in tone. Edward prefer using auditory imagery to illustrate his feelings towards death. By using the phrase lazy buzz, it shows how mundane and solemn death is to him. Unlike Mary, who uses music in comparison with death. Music carries out a more cheerful and entertaining atmosphere with the aura of death. Besides auditory and visual imagery, both poets also uses tactile imagery. The similar use of tactile imagery allow the readers to experience what is it before the blink of death. Poem A, 'a quick sting'. This shows that death is merely a quick and sudden shock before dying. 'when death comes/like the measle-pox' from poem B shows an illustration of a sudden and painful death, since having measles is indeed suffering. The choice of tactile imagery used by both poets actually have the similar meaning; death as been random and quick. A distinct difference between poem A and B is the use of diction. Poem A is seen to be progressive towards death. Although the title is "Death Mask", the word death is not mentioned in the whole of the poem. Such contradiction brings out uncertainty. This uncertainty is shows the essence of death been unpredictable as mentioned earlier. Such similarity shows that death is simple. A comparison between poem A and B for that distinct diction is the presence of the word death in the poem. The fact that Mary Oliver uses the word death in every other stanza shows the acceptance of death rather then Edward Field which chooses not to mention the word death. This shows that Edward is rather afraid of death while Mary treats death as a new life. Besides the emphasis of death in poem B, another difference which is clearly depicted is the elaboration of the poet views on death. Edward Field shows a constant rejection towards death in the 1-2 part of the poem. Unlike Mary Oliver which focuses a minority portion of her poem on death. Mary Oliver true interpretation of death is actually a

constant questioning about life. An example of such view is 'I don't want to end up simply having visited this world'. By using this phrase, it shows that the poet is not pushing on the theme, death, but rather on life. Where else Poet A sees death as just death. In conclusion, both poet depicts death in a different form. Which poet A mentions about the stages towards death, while poet B treats death as a new life and life as an opportunity.