Learning To Read Mark Halliday Analysis

When comparing and looking at the two poems “Graded Paper” by Mark Halliday and “Learning to Read” by Frances E. W. Harper, you can see that the two are different in many ways. They are two poems from two very distinct time periods. The diverse elements and styles that are used in these poems make them unique in their own way. But, while they have different forms, subjects, word choices, and themes, their overall tones, while not exactly the same throughout the poems, can be seen as similar in a way as they both result in a happy and positive feeling. The poem “Graded Paper” by Mark Halliday is one that might not be easy to understand after just one read. The form and idea behind it can be confusing at first, therefore needing another read or more to fully catch on to what he is saying. The speaker of this poem is a teacher who is, as stated by the title, grading a student’s paper. The speaker starts out the poem by saying, “On the whole this is quite a successful work:”, showing that overall, they enjoyed to student’s paper, giving a hint of a successful, happy tone to the reader. At line 5 though, there is a slight change in the tone when the speaker then says, “At the same time, there are spots when your thinking becomes” and then lists some problems in the student’s paper. …show more content…
W. Harper’s “Learning to Read”, their vast differences in themes, formats, and word styles can make them seem like two completely different poems, but when it comes to it, their overall tones are very similar. “Graded Paper” having the ending where the student gets a good grade on their paper, and “Learning to Read” having the ending where the old slave can finally read and have a place on her own, both leaves them with an overall tone of happiness and positivity. So, even though they are both unique poems in their own way, overall, they are great poems that in the end leave you with a sense of happiness and