Similarities Between A Barred Owl And The History Teacher

Adults often adjust the truth of the world in order to protect the innocence of children. In both poems “A Barred Owl” by Richard Wilbur and “The History Teacher” by Billy Collins there is a demonstration as to how adults provide explanations for children with having their own point of view and unique use literary devices. These poems are both similar in the way that they are trying to protect children from the the harsh reality of the world but with different outcomes.Both poems use imagery to give out vivid descriptions and both poems consist of different tones.

First of all, in “A Barred Owl” the last verse states, “up to some dark branch and eaten raw” where the owl is eating his meal while the children are oblivious to it. “The History

The free verse style is used to back up the teacher in which makes up history or doesn't tell the entire truth. This is done to protect the innocence of children. Wilbur’s poem contains rhyme couplets in order to back up his main point that adults teach young children to temper the child's spirit. Colin’s poem attempts to simplify the history of the world to his students but instead ends up corrupting them. Verse 12 contains a major understatement when the teachers describes the bombing of Hiroshima as “dropped one tiny atom on Japan.” This lessens the cruel reality of war where entire cities were destroyed and millions of people died. A tone shift is present in Wilbur’s poem in the first verse, it is dark and frightening but by the end of the first stanza there is alliteration with the question, “Who cooks for you?....Who cooks for you?” These questions are meant to comfort the child and protect him/her from the terrors of the natural world. Once again the tone shifts dark when diction such as “stealthy’, “dark”, and “raw” are used. The repetition of the word “small” throughout the last stanza relates to both the small animal and small