Contrasting Poems
Contrasting Poems
One Subject, Two Speakers, Two Emotional Worlds
One Subject, Two Speakers, Two Emotional Worlds
Your job is to write two original poems about the same external subject (recommended: something natural like the ocean, mountains, trees, food, etc.), but from two dramatically different emotional perspectives.
You’re exploring how the same thing can look, feel, and sound completely different depending on who is observing it—and how they’re feeling.
These poems should feel like they come from two completely different speakers. One might find joy in the sunrise; the other might find it unbearable. The details, tone, and even structure should reflect that shift.
Two poems about the same physical subject (e.g., the ocean, a rose, a sunset)
Each poem must be at least 80 words
Each poem must:
Reflect a clear and contrasting tone (joy vs. grief, peace vs. fear, wonder vs. numbness)
Use different imagery and details that match the speaker’s emotional state
Vary form (rhyme, line length, stanza size, use of questions, etc.) to match tone
What is each speaker’s emotional lens?
What have they been through—grief, love, loss, triumph?
Are they young or old? Hopeful or bitter? Dreamy or analytical?
It must stay the same between the poems
(e.g., Both poems are about a river. One speaker sees it as cleansing, the other sees it as a threat.)
Pick two contrasting tones/emotions:
Examples: Joy vs. Grief, Calm vs. Chaos, Wonder vs. Numbness, Hope vs. Regret
Does your speaker use rhyme? Why? Is it soothing or obsessive?
Are lines short and abrupt, or long and flowing? What does that say about the tone?
Is the structure tight and neat, or chaotic and broken?
Does the speaker ask questions? Are they rhetorical? Honest? Desperate?
Two poems on the same physical subject
Each poem explores a different emotional/mental point of view
Each poem uses different imagery and tone-appropriate structure
Word count minimum: 80 words per poem
Clearly label each poem with a title and tone descriptor (e.g., “Poem One: Awe” / “Poem Two: Resentment”)
Include your name on your submission
By Arthur Blythe
Upon the shore, I stand elated, free,
Where earth and sea embrace in symphony.
The beach, a canvas painted by the tides,
With waves as dancers in the endless strides.
The ocean's breath, a gentle, rhythmic song,
Each wave a note, a chorus sweet and strong.
They rise and fall in graceful, liquid waltz,
Their elegance, a sight that never halts.
With foam-kissed lips, they whisper secrets old,
Of ancient tales and mysteries untold.
They sweep the sand with tender, loving grace,
Leaving behind a memory, a trace.
The sun above, a blazing golden orb,
Reflects its glory on the waves, adored.
Their crests catch fire, a dazzling, brilliant hue,
As if the sky itself were in review.
With joyous heart, I watch the ocean play,
Its waves, the actors in this grand ballet.
Each rise and fall, a momentary trance,
A dance of life, a celebration's dance.
So here I stand, elation in my chest,
By nature's artistry forever blessed.
The beach, the waves, the sun, a perfect blend,
In this embrace, my soul finds peace to mend.
By Sydney Agony
Beneath the endless stretch of starlit night,
I stand amid a fracture sight - this shore.
The ocean's waves, they mirror my misery,
A vast and empty void, a world laid bare.
The loss I've known, a weight too great to bear,
Like waves that crash bare and break my heart, laid.
The universe, expanding, vast, I am adrift,
Coldness forward, an unwanted story left.
The waves, they churn with sorrow,
Each crest a symbol of my own disdain.
They crash upon the shore, relentless, wild,
A child broken tossed and tempest toiled.
I search the endless sea, a quest for meaning,
Yet lord or god remain but silent.
The stars above, like distant, mocking eyes,
Silent silver jests that leave me broken.
Alone, I stand upon this barren strand,
Lost in cosmic, vaporous memories.
The ocean's waves, they echo my despair,
Receding and preceding, purposelessness bare.
I watch the waves, their ceaseless flow,
A reminder of tomorrow’s continued sorrow.
For in the depths of pain, we find our way,
At times into more broken bellows.