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Robert Burns and William Shakespeare

Decent Essays

“Oh, my love is like a red, red rose” by Robert Burns, “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” by William Shakespeare, and “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe are similar poems. The biographical information for each author, the conflicts in the poems and the literary devices contribute to the central theme, love. The authors of the poems have diverse backgrounds. Robert Burns, author of “Oh, my love is like a red, red rose,” was born on January 25, 1759, in Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland (“Robert Burns” 544). In his poetry, Burns “…relied heavily upon literary forms and legends peculiar to the Scottish folk culture, and … wrote in the actual language of the common people” (“Robert Burns” 544). One of Burns’ biggest projects was “collecting and editing songs for The Scots Musical Museum” (“A Red, Red Rose” 151). “Oh, my love is like a red, red rose,” an original poem, was part of this collection, which also included poems he had written (“A Red, Red Rose 151-152). William Shakespeare, author of “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun,” was born on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon (Sonnet 130, Poetry for Students 246). Shakespeare is known for his numerous plays; however, he did write poetry as well. Although it has not been proven, “most probably, ‘the dark lady’... [is] a character created for the sonnet sequence, inspired partially by fictional characters and real-life acquaintances” (Sonnet 130, Poetry for Students 246). Edgar Allen Poe, author of “The Raven,” was

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