What is remembering? What is imagining? Imagining is something that never happened and remembering is something that did happen. In these two amazing poems “All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace” by Richard Brautigan and “Women” by Alice Walker have those. Those poems are very different and similar, for example some differences are figure of speech, imagery, tone but there is one similarity which is the free verse.

The first reason these two poems are different is because they have divergent figure of speech. In Richard’s poem he has more simils than metaphors, for example “Programing harmony like pure water”(6,7). In this quote he uses the word ‘like’ which proves its a simile. But in Alice’s poems she uses more metaphors like ““How they led/ armies/headragged generals/ across mïnded/ fields”(12-16). She is representing stories her mom told her but exaggerating them, therefore its a metaphor. Figure of speech is one of the many differences in these two poems.

Another reason these poems are different is because of tone. In Richard’s poem his tone is more creative, more excited. For example “I like to think (and/ the sooner the better!)(1-2). But in Alice’s poem she sounds more determined. Like “To discover books/ Desks/ A place for us/ How they knew what we/ Must know/ Without knowing a page/ Of it/ Themselves”(19-26). They discovered things that they didn’t really need but they want to. Therefore these poems by Richard and Alice are different because of tone.

But these two poems have one similarity which is free verse. In Richard Brautigan poem he has verses but all the lines are have a different amount of syllables. “I like to think (and[5]/ the sooner the better!)[6] / of cybernetic meadow[7]/ where mammals and computers[7[/ live together in mutually[9]/ programing harmony[7]/ like pure water[4]/ touching clear sky[4].”(1-8) In Alices poem there are no verses and all the lines have different syllables. “Husky of voice-stout of[6]/ step[1]/ with fists as well as[6]/ hands[1]/ how ther battered down[[5]/ doors[1]/ and ironed starched white[6]/ shirt[1]s”(3-11). In her poem some of her lines they are one syllables or more. Because of that her poem is free verse. So the only thing these poems are similar is because of free verse.

The last reason that these poems are different is because if imagery. In Richard’s poem its sight, for example: “Where deers stroll peacefully” (13). He sees it happening. But in Alice’s poem its sound, for example: “Husky of voice” (3). She hears her mother’s husky voice. Imagery is another reason why these two poems are different.

In conclusion, lots of poems have similarities and differences. But in the end if you compare poems by Richard Brautigan and Alice Walker they have more differences. For example figure of speech in one its simile in the other metaphor, another reason they are different ‘because of imagery and tone. But they share one similarity which is free verse. So remember there is a difference between remembering and imagining.