Comparison Of The Poems Caught In The Crowd And Vultures
Poetry is a way in which authors and writers use to give a message to the audience or to tell a story. Poetry can be used to express an author’s emotions, experiences and beliefs. Poetry is made from many different patterns and techniques that add meaning to the words helping people to understand the world around them. Caught in The Crowd by Kate Miller-Heidke and Vultures by Cherry Ann both have topics about bulling, the two poems are very similar however express extremely different emotions. This essay will compare the similarities and differences between the two poems, including the different elements and themes.
Caught in The Crowd is a song written by Kate Miller-Heidke, she wrote this in 2009 when she was twenty-seven years old. Miller Heidke is an Australian singer who has dealt with some bullying at a young age but learnt how to “blend in” as she says. The main topic of her song is bulling, however her song deals with themes including; regret and forgiveness. Vultures is a poem written by Cherry Ann although not much known about her, it is clear that she has had a difficult past with bullying. Ann’s main topic is also bulling however the themes of her poem surround emotions of anger and pain. Both poems were published around the same time only a few years apart. Both poets were motivated to write their poems because they wanted to show how wrong bulling is, but they were motivated by other things too; Miller-Heidke refers to her memory of being a by-stander to bulling and ignoring a friend asking for help. She was motivated to write her poem because of the guilt, sorrow and regret that had built up inside her. Although this happened when she was in high school the guilt has remained with her but this allowed her to finally apologise and move on. Ann on the other hand had the experience of being a victim of bulling for a long time. The anger, pain and helplessness she felt as the victim motivated her to share her experiences and help others, to relate to something and not feel alone. The biggest similarity based on the theme is the main topic itself, both Miller-Heidke poem and Ann’s has strong opinions against bulling knowing the impacts it has on both sides. The main difference I believe is complete opposite points of view, Miller-Heidke’s poem being written from the bully or by-standers point of view and Ann’s being written from the victim’s point of view. This s
The structure of a poem is important in portraying what the author is trying to say, Caught in The Crowd is structured like a ballad, since it is a song there is no stanzas but instead verses choruses. Overall the poem has two choruses and five verses, the rhyming structure is very important when it comes to ballads, for Caught in The Crowd has a rhyming structure of AA, BB. So, the two A lines would rhyme and the same for the two B lines. Vultures on the other hand technically has no structure, seeing as it is a free verse poem. This means it has no proper stanzas or rhyming structure and this certain free verse has no rhyming features at all. Comparing the tow poems both are structured extremely different, Caught in The Crowd has a very strict, straight forward structure that is followed well. This verse from Caught in the Crowd is an example of the structure and rhyming scheme of the poem, “Well, one day I found him, joined him on his walk. We were silent for a while until we started to talk.” Vultures, however, has very little structure as it has no restrictions to certain rhyming or rhythm schemes. This example is from vultures, “They screech at each other, It’s mine, It’s mine! Fighting, Fighting. Never knowing how much pain they cause.” It really shows the free rhythm and verse structure that is used. Both poems are well written and effective, although the ballad structure used for Caught in the Crowd can be used more effectively simply because of the structure it already provides for the writer.
My two chosen poems both express extremely different theme which is always expressed through the tone and mood. Caught in The Crowd has a theme based on bulling the same as Ann’s poem Vultures. Although having the same theme the way in which the poems are written and expressed changes with the story and the meaning behind the words written. Miller-Heidke’s poems tone is full of regret and sadness you can hear the pleading for forgiveness in her voice especially when she sings “please, please believe that I’m sorry”. For the audience this may bring a mood of sorrow. This in comparison to Ann’s poem where the tone really represents her pain and anger especially in verses like this where it says, “Looking for some meat and sometimes even finding the heart. All the while damaging the brain, in the process of tearing the meal apart.” This may give a mood based off anger, sorrow or even may allow them to relate. These two poems have completely different tones in their writing however kind of give off a similar mood, both the feeling of sorrow. Both have strong tones, moods and overall themes, but the tone Miller-Heidke shows is effective through the verses “Please, please believe that I’m sorry.” I believe this really makes the theme of bulling, being a bully or a by-stander to bulling stand out.
For Caught in The Crowd many different poetic devices are used throughout the poem although rhyming, repetition and metaphor are used a lot and stand out. Rhyming is used a lot through many of the verses for example “Well, one day I found him, joined him on his walk. We were silent for a while until we started to talk.” Walk and talk being the rhyming words, structure like this used through most of the verses. Repetition is used with the choruses and helps to really convey the message, “I was young and caught in the crowd. I didn’t know then what I know now. I was dumb and I was proud and I’m sorry”. Finally, metaphor is a main part of the poem, Miller-Heidke uses this in the main chorus to portray her story, “I was young and caught in the crowd”. Vultures uses some similar some different poetic techniques including; imagery, extended metaphor and hyperbole. Imagery is used a lot and really helps the reader to understand the poem, “Swooping through the inky black sky”, verses like this really paints a picture in the readers mind. Throughout the whole of Vultures an extended metaphor is used “Yet sometimes they kill before they eat. Sharp, piercing talons. Followed by a softer peck of the beaks.” The metaphor is the idea of the vultures being the bullies. Hyperbole is another well used poetic technique “Tearing apart their meal looking for some meat” the poem has lots of exaggeration describing the way the bullies attack their victims. Metaphor, imagery and rhyming are all very effective poetic devices from my perspective, they all really help to shape the poem.
The 2009 poem Caught in The Crowd by Kate Miller-Heidke and Vultures by Cherry Ann from 2013 are two poems that are very similar in some ways and opposites in other. The theme of both poems is the same both about bullying and the impacts it has. The biggest differences are the tones, both writers express their stories in two opposite ways. Miller-Heidke’s poems tone being regret and guilt and Ann’s poems tone being anger and pain. The differences in tone changes the mood but not so much the theme, as both poems have the same topic and perspective on the theme. Poetry really is just a way authors express emotions and opinions; these two poems show how poetry should and can be used. Through the poetic techniques shown, the opinions o bullying and the emotions the writers express about their story.
