Matthew Arnold's "Requiescat"
* Form: A tightly structured sonnet, following the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form.
* Themes: Mourning, grief, and the passing of youth and beauty. The speaker is reflecting on the death of a young woman, lamenting her lost potential and the fragility of life.
* Tone: Melancholic, mournful, and resigned to fate.
* Language: Formal, elegant, and elevated, reflecting the sonnet form. Arnold uses imagery of a "flower in the crannied wall" to symbolize the fleeting nature of beauty.
Comparing to Wilde:
* Form: Wilde's poetry often utilizes a more conversational tone and free verse, departing from traditional forms.
* Themes: Wilde's works often explore themes of love, beauty, and the complexities of human nature, often with a satirical or ironic edge.
* Tone: Wilde's tone can range from ironic and witty to somber and melancholic. He frequently used paradox and epigrammatic wit.
* Language: Wilde's language is often intricate, often employing a more direct and less formal style than Arnold. He also uses neologisms and unusual imagery to create unique effects.
Overall:
While both poets explore themes of loss and the passage of time, their styles and approaches are distinct. Arnold's "Requiescat" is a deeply moving and melancholic elegy, reflecting the traditional Romantic era focus on nature and mortality. Wilde's poetry, on the other hand, often takes a more introspective and sometimes cynical view of the world, reflecting a more modern sensibility.