Washington Crossing The Delaware Compare Contrast Essay

Washington Crossing the Delaware Two Different Mediums

How can two pieces of art be named the same exact thing, and be based on the same event but have clashing interpretations? These different mediums are both based on the event in where George Washington crossed the Delaware on Christmas Day. This was during the American Revolution. America lost many battles at this point and Washington knew he was going to need to come up with more surprising tactics. While both the painting and poem convey the same topic, only the poem allows the interpreter to be able to understand the harsh experience in a more personal form.
To begin, the poem and painting describe George Washington differently using dialogue and body language. In the poem, Washington yells “Go!” (Shulman line 7) While in the painting, his proud stance and his uplifted head exert confidence as he leads his men onward into battle. When Washington shouts to his men in the poem, readers can detect he is commanding his men and encouraging them to keep striving for victory, while in the painting,

In the poem, the central point is George Washington’s crew and the harsh weather conditions. “…Weather stings as in anger.” (Shulman line 3) “He saw his ragged continentals row.” (Shulman line 8) While in the painting the American flag is the focal point. The flag is being held up by two of Washington’s sailors and is the high point of the artwork. The flag is pushing the men onward, because Washington speaks of his soldiers the most in the poem, readers can assume that his crew is the main thing that surrounds Washington. In the painting, the flag might be getting the men through, however, in the poem the men themselves are pushing each other on. The sight of each man’s struggle and dedication makes Washington proud. In this situation being that the focal points differ the poem continues to be the more compelling out of the two differing forms of