The poems I am comparing and contrasting are from different eras, yet are very similar. The poets are both tragic characters and this is sunk into their poetry. `I am' was written in the Romantic era by John Clare, a controlled sonnet written at the tail end of what we now think of as an impressive career. The other poem, `Sonnets from the Portuguese XLII', was written in the Victorian era by Elizabeth Browning and is predominantly about the freedom she has gained through her love for her husband.

The form of each poem is obviously very strictly structured, as they are both sonnets. This allows both poets to describe either formless or uncontrollable themes or emotions. The strict structure allows for a skeleton in which they must desperately describe the indescribable. `I am' describes the seemingly desperate formlessness of lost identity and self-drive. Browning's poem is written...