Introduction to Literature

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Comparing literary works by Updike and Burns

Content

It is a very undemanding task to compare the two works which are “Wife wooing” by John Updike (Updike, 1996, p.1) and “A red, red rose” by Robert Burns (Burns, 2012). The truth is that the content of both the famous literary works is quite the same. Both are profoundly and deeply praising and loving their partners and lovers. The content of both the literary works revolves around their lovers and they express their great love and fondness of their lovers.

Furthermore, the content of wife wooing strongly praises and admires his lover. John writes that she is wide, warm woman, and white-thighed (Updike, 1996). Here he tries to explain the beauty of his wife. He treats her as an object of true love. He also treats her as flesh (Bernardo, 2011), which is his own. On the other hand, the content of Burns is also identical when he praises his lover as saying that his love is like a red, red rose. That is newly sprung in June (Burns, 2012). He continues that she is fair and she is his bonny lass (Burns, 2012). Here, we can clearly see that both are interested in defining the figures and corporal beauty of their lovers. While the former is describing the beauty of his wife as she is fleshy and healthy, the latter classifies his lover as being slim and smart in the body type.

The above excerpts also indicate that both highbrow writers are sharing the content of their writing in describing the physical beauty of their lovers. Further, it is needless to say, that the very themes of both the works are identical as they revolve around and entirely focus on their lovers. While, Updike is lengthy and verbose in describing his lover, ...