Prompt: “To Sir John Lade, on His Coming of Age” (Samuel Johnson) and “When I Was One-and-Twenty” (A. E. Housman)
Prompt: Each of the two poems below is concerned with a young man at the age of twenty-one, traditionally the age of adulthood. Read the
two poems carefully. Then write a well-organized essay in which you compare and contrast the poems, analyzing the poetic techniques, such
as point of view and tone, that each writer uses to make his point about coming of age.
In Samuel Johnson's "To Sir John Lade, on His Coming of Age", and A. E. Housman's "When I Was One-and-Twenty", both authors sarcastically address the misconceptions of the transition to adulthood. Johnson addresses the perils of superfluous spending associated with coming of age whereas Housman mockingly discusses the misleading notion of maturation within a year. With different focuses on sound, variations in tone shifts, and differing structures, the poems separately highlight the immaturity of supposedly mature individuals.
The two poems use different rhyme schemes and meters to create the tone shifts. The first difference is in the rhyme scheme. Johnson used an ABAB pattern. This rhyme scheme, because of it simplicity, creates irony with the much deeper meaning of the poem. It is emphasizes the contrast between the simple surface features of maturation and the much more complex difficulties that are overlooked. The biggest difference in sound comes in the last stanza where there is a slant rhyme. The slant rhyme draws attention to the last stanza where the speaker's true meaning lies. There is also an example of enjambment in this poem which also occurs in the last stanza. With this defining feature, not only is there more attention drawn to the last stanza but it shows the unpredictable nature of the poem, paralleling the unpredictable nature of "coming of age".
On the other hand, the Housman's poem uses quatrains in an ABCB rhyme scheme. This rhyme is similar to Johnson's rhyme scheme in that it is simple but captures the underlying meaning. The use of sentences in the Housman's poem draws attention to the tone shifts. With the use of complete sentences, Housman splits each octave into the advice and the reaction of the speaker. The first sentence lasts six lines which discusses the advice. The second sentence of each octave is short and lasts one two lines. This draws attention to the contrast of the first reaction to the second reaction which is where the sarcasm of the piece lies. The meter which alnternates between 8 and 7 syllables creates an upbeat sound to the poem. While the poem is very dark and sarcastic, the beat of the poem tries to mask that. However, with the unpredictable nature of the syllables, the meter exemplifies the unpredictable nature of maturation.
Both poems emphasize their tone shifts in different ways, ultimately catering to the message of the speaker. The first poem has a tone shift after every stanza which shows how maturation will consistently result in superfluous spending. The biggest shift occurs in the last stanza which highlights the message: certain precautions need to be taken when becoming an adult.
On the other hand, the second poem has uneven tone shifts. This adds to the irony of the poem which mocks the idea that maturation can occur at a certain age or over a year. With the last two sentences of each octave discussing the speaker's reaction to the wise man's advice, the Housman mocks the ability of an individual to realize their mistakes so quickly. This is also emphasized through the structure of the second poem. Because the poem is broken into two stanzas, their is attention drawn to before maturation and after maturation. This adds to the mocking and remorseful tone of the speaker.
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