Question

Compare and contrast Red Red Rose by Robert Browning with Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Be sure to focus on each work’s structure and each writer’s use of poetic elements, as well as the language, imagery, and themes of both works.

Answer 1

First of all Red Red Rose is written by Burns not Browning and the difference as regards structure between Red Red Rose and Sonnet 43 is that the first one is a ballad with four four-line stanzas following an ABBA rhyme and the second one is a sonnet which has a specific structure and metric. The sonnet has 2 four-line stanzas and 2 three-line stanzas making a total of 14 lines, and the rhyme in the sonnet is as follows: the first 8 lines is ABBA, and then lines 9 to 14 are CD CD CD.  

In Red Red Rose we can observe the use of repetitions, similes and metaphors to express the concept of love and emotions and the depth of his "luve" towards the woman of his affection. Spelling "luve" with an u instead of an o which is not modern gives the idea of a historical era.  

In Sonnet 43 we can observe that the dominant figures of speech are Anaphora and alliteration, both of them are use to build rhythm and reinforce the theme which is an intense love for his husband to be.