Option 1 (Poetry)Task 1 Compare and contrasting the poems of Issa and Paul MuldoonI intend to demonstrate that the two poems follow largely the rules of haiku. However, they achieve their effects using different techniques. Despite the fact that the contexts of the two poems set them apart, the two poems can be seen as having similar meanings. Baugh et al (2006 p57 to p60) give 9 rules of haiku, which I will use to compare the two poems. I will then use the study diamond to comment on the effects the poems have on me, the techniques used, the contexts of the two poems and their meanings. Muldoon's poem has seventeen syllables while Issa's has only twelve. Both poems have three lines, but only Muldoon's has the 5-7-5 haiku format. Issa's poem is 3-5-4 and is a translation from the original Japanese in which it may have had a different number of syllables. Both poems have a change of rhythm at the end of the first line. In Issa's poem this is indicated by a colon, in Muldoon's by a comma. According to Baugh et al's rules, this normally takes place at the end of the second line. Baugh et al (2006 p47) describe the techniques of imagery and metaphor. Haikus normally contain two or three simple images. Muldoon's poem contains two images, the snowball, with a stone at its heart, and the porcelain knob on winter's metaphorical door. Issa's poem contains images of melting snow, a village, and falling children. The first parts of both poems, the melting snow, the snowball, and the porcelain doorknob, are clearly observations of real events or objects. In Issa's poem, the transition from the image of melting snow to that of children falling on the village is abrupt and shocking. In Muldoon's poem, the transition is smooth... middle of paper ...... my main weakness is that I am rather uncertain when it comes to referencing. I want to either cite chapters and verses, which use too many words, or skimp, which is word-saving but may not meet academic requirements. I can't seem to find a happy medium.3. FutureStudying other academic essays and becoming more focused on what I put into an essay and what I leave out should improve my ability to produce a balanced essay, one that adequately covers its topic and includes all necessary references.[ 197 words]Works CitedBaugh, T., Brickley, P. and Perryman, LA (2006) Making Sense of the Arts, Milton Keynes, The Open University. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (Chris Baldick, OUP, 2004) Microsoft ® Encarta ® Reference Library 2005. © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporationwww.paulmuldoon.net (05/07/2009)