Comparisons Poem Summary and Line by Line Explanation in English Class 9th

Introduction

The poet in a very simple and amusing language compares ordinary objects. It is a very informative and witty collection of comparisons. 

The poem follows the abcb rhyme scheme.

Summary

The poem is set in a humourous tone and is a collection of adjectives used to compare the different objects. When one sits to ponder there is a multitude number of comparisons that can be made. The poet has listed some. In order to compare two objects, there must always be at least one common feature that they share. For instance, a spaceship and snail are compared.

Here, they are compared on the basis of their speeds. While one is fast, the other is slow. A big dinosaur is compared to a small nail due to its difference in size.  Similarly, the fierce and bold tiger is compared with the gentle and tender lamb. Here, it is their temperaments of behaviour that are brought forth for comparison. 

The sour lemon and sweet jam are compared for their differences in palate. The physical states of the dry desert and wet sea are compared. The shapes square and round are used to compare the house and pea. The cool cave is compared with warm toast because of its temperature. The noisy road drill and quiet ghost are compared as one makes noise while the other does not. Taking strength as the subject for comparison, the poet compares a strong ox to a weak kitten. The hard rock is compared to a soft mitten which describes their materialistic surfaces. 

The dark tunnel while being compared to the light moon illustrates the difference in their illumination. Midnight and noon are eminent forms of telling time. While comparing heights, tall and short are requisite adjectives and to make obvious their difference, a giant and elf are used. Lastly, a crooked mountain path and straight shelf are compared. 

The world is full of opposites and the poet urges the readers to think of some themselves!

Figures of Speech

1. Simile: A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things in an interesting way using the word “like” or “as.” Example – Fierce as a tiger, gentle as a lamb.
2. Antithesis: A figure of speech in which opposite words are used in a phrase. Example- Dry as the desert, wet as the sea.