The two poems “On the subway“ by Sharon Olds and “Guilt“ have many differences but also some similarities in common. In both poems, the focus is around human relationships and the guilt we feel because of them. Both works share the key theme about guilt but they differ in the way they are conveyed, with “Guilt“ relying mainly on enjambment and imagery, and “On the subway“ using irony and metaphors. Firstly, a main similarity in the poems is the central theme of guilt. In “Guilt,“ the theme is shown through the metaphor “little knots you can't shake loose from your memory.“ This metaphor highlights that guilt is unforgivable and the emotional damage and stress it can cause. Similarly, in “On the subway“, the author describes her privilege as “making my life...easy, this life he could take so easily,“ which shows the guilt the author feels for benefiting from social favoritism and racism. The theme of guilt is seen in both poems, which is a similarity between them but they also have some differences. …show more content…
“Guilt“ is focused on the author's guilt in her relationships with family and friends, which is shown at the start of the poem when the author says “your mother giving you a set of dishes and all you said was but I move around so much“. On the other hand, “On the subway“ is about societal guilt, with the author showing the guilt she feels for benefiting from societal favoritism. This guilt is expressed through the use of irony, when the author says “eating the steak he does not eat, as if I am taking the food from his mouth”. There are different types of guilt in the poems “Guilt“ and “On the subway“ and they are shown through different literary and poetic