Text A is a poem, written by Sharon Olds in 1983. Although it is not explicitly expressed, the main theme of this work is some aspects of little boys behavior, in particular, their tendency towards anger (or even violence). Text B represents two extracts from an article, which also explores male conduct, however, William Pollack; the author of the article addresses this issue from a different standpoint. He mostly focuses his attention on the underlying causes of anger among boys.
As regards text A (Rites of Passage), it is quite possible to say that its audience can be very wide, first, parents, who should pay more attention to the behavior of their children. Additionally, this text can be addressed to men in general. Sharon Olds stresses the idea that inclination towards anger (or violence) is an intrinsic part of male conduct. The tone of the poem can be characterized as ironical mostly because of the stylistic devices that the author employs, especially similes, “they clear their throats like General” or metaphors “a room of small bankers”. Evidence, suggesting that the author is a little bit ironic is the language of the poem. Sharon Olds uses words, which arouse somewhat comic associations. Despite, the fact, that this text is a poem, its structure makes it look like a narration. Text B also deals with the subject of male behavior but it is more specific and more objective. It can be inferred from the formal style of the article, language, and structure. The main message of the author is that boys intention to conceal their vulnerability transforms into anger.
As it has already been mentioned, the poem “Rites of Passage” can be characterized by a somewhat ironic style. This statement can be substantiated by the following quotations. The author makes extensive use of such stylistic devices as simile, for example, “they clear their throat like Generals”(Olds, 1983). Sharon Olds makes such a comparison to attract the reader’s attention to the fact that even little boys are inclined to behave like warriors or future leaders. Previously, the author also employs similes, for instance, ”My son, freckles like specks of nutmeg on his cheeks, chest narrow as the knee of a model boat ” The use of these stylistic devices creates a slightly comic effect, it conjures up the image of a very little boy, who already views himself as the future soldier or warrior. Moreover, describing a little boy Sharon Olds says “speaks up a host”. It is a metaphorical use of the word “host”, and probably, in this case, it means master or even commander. This line shows that even little boys want to achieve superiority. Among other stylistic devices, employed in this poem, one can mention hyperbole, for example, “the other men agree”. The word “men”, which is certainly an exaggeration, refers to males, in general. This figure of speech only intensifies the comic effect that the poem produces.
Text A is chronologically organized; there are no flashbacks, to some extent, this poem reminds descriptive narrative, however, Sharon Olds does not use the words, which usually show time sequence. The sentences are not rhymed, this poem is an example of a blank verse. The ideas of the author are organized based on contrast: the fragility of little boys and their aggressiveness are juxtaposed throughout the poem.
The author’s language is rather conversational, for example, “a seven says to a six”. There are many phrasal verbs, as “to get down to”, “to speak up”, and “to beat up”. Probably, the main purpose is to create a slightly light-hearted atmosphere.
Unlike Sharon Olds, William Pollack attempts to be as objective as possible. He adheres to the norms of scientific writing, which do not allow any bias in judgment or subjectivity. Judging from the grammatical constructions (frequent use of the Passive Voice), and the vocabulary, it is possible to conclude, this text is a bright example of formal style. However, several stylistic devices, used by the author alter our perception of the text, for instance “to scar over” (metaphor), vulnerable feelings (epithet). At first glance, it may seem that this text is some form of parental guidance, it is mostly due to the topic of the text. However, if it had been guidance, this article would have contained some imperative statements, for example, “parents should, or parents must”. Mostly, it reminds a psychological study, which makes the reader to form his own conclusions. As a rule, the words that William Pollack uses are very formal, for example, “the boys are pressured to express” or “researches centers have documented”. This formality makes the reader believe, that the author of this text is competent enough in this issue. However, occasionally, William Pollack gives preference to less formal style. He employs contracted forms of the verbs as for example “they dont” or “theyve been”, which is not a characteristic feature of the scientific writing and it makes this text resemble a magazine article. One can observe various expressive means, in particular metaphors, such as “to scar over”, “to meet the mark”, and epithets “vulnerable feelings”, “fragile male psyches ” In order to stress the idea that boys always want to hide their weaknesses, William Pollack employs a very interesting metaphor, “to rein the full range of emotions”. In this case, the word “rein” indicates males yearning for dominance or shame of being weak and vulnerable. Probably, the main reason for such shift in style is the authors intention to make this text more interesting for the target audience, particularly parents. Regarding the grammatical structure of this article, it is worth mentioning that this text contains several Passive Voice constructions, for instance, “boys at a very early age are pushed to suppress, their vulnerable and sad feelings” or “the boys are pressured to express”. William Pollack prefers such formulation, because he wants to remain less categorical, furthermore, our attention is attracted to the action or the process, but not to its agent.
As regards the structure of the text, it is quite possible to say that it is logically divided into two parts; the author indicates this division by subheadings, which attract the attention of the reader, especially parents. The ideas are logically organized; it can be inferred from the structure of the text.
The language of this article is not homogeneous; the author combines formal and conversational styles. Such formal words and expressions as “documented”, “to be pressured” are combined with colloquialisms “to scar over” or “to meet the mark”. William Pollack varies the language, in order to make the article more interesting and appealing to the intended audience, especially parents.
In conclusion, the poem and the article successfully deal with the subject of male behavior, but it is done in different ways. The purpose of the poem is to describe common stereotypes of male behavior, whereas the article intends to attract the attention of parents to this issue. William Pollack analyzes mechanisms of such conducts and emphasizes the fact it may have adverse effects on the childs personality.