SOURCE TEXT:
First Light

The sun has burst the sky,
And spilled its gold on you.
My world, once grey, now drenched in light,
A canvas, fresh and new.

No grand design, no crafted word,
Just this: the simple truth I see.
My love is like the dawn, absurd
In its bright certainty.

QUESTIONS:
In both 'First Light' and 'I Am Offering this Poem' the speakers describe their feelings about love.

What are the similarities and/or differences between the methods the poets use to present these feelings?

1. **Identify a key similarity:** Both poems use metaphor to express feelings of love. 'I Am Offering this Poem' uses an extended metaphor of the poem as a practical gift, while 'First Light' uses the metaphor of dawn. 2. **Identify a key difference:** Analyse the *type* of metaphor. Baca's metaphors are tangible and focus on survival and protection ('warm coat', 'pot full of yellow corn'). This presents love as a practical, grounding force. The metaphor in 'First Light' is more abstract and visual ('sun has burst the sky', 'spilled its gold'), presenting love as a sudden, beautiful, and world-altering experience. 3. **Compare the language:** The language in 'I Am Offering this Poem' is very direct and simple ('I love you'). 'First Light' also claims simplicity ('no crafted word'), but uses more evocative, descriptive language ('drenched in light', 'bright certainty'). 4. **Compare the structure:** Both poems use free verse, creating an intimate tone. However, 'I Am Offering this Poem' uses repetition of 'I love you' as a structural anchor, emphasising its core message. 'First Light' is more compact, structured into two quatrains, reflecting the single, powerful moment of realisation it describes. 5. **Conclusion:** Briefly summarise that while both poets present love as powerful and essential, Baca focuses on its role as a protective, enduring comfort, whereas the speaker in 'First Light' focuses on its sudden, transformative, and illuminating power.