Question

I guess I don't understand the question(why the quote presents contrast rather than comparison) my book is asking.
I'm new to this poetry thing, please help!

Answer 1

http://www.answers.com/comparison

http://www.answers.com/contrast

What is the difference between these two words? Until you understand the difference, as Bobpursley wrote below, you cannot begin to answer the question or find examples in the poem itself.

So please re-post, and let us know what you think the difference is between the two words -- "comparison" and "contrast."

Answer 2

This is the question from my book...
Why could one say that "Shall I compare Thee to a Summer's Day"? presents contrast rather than comparison?

contrast means difference between things
comparison is things that are similar

Answer 3

OK, now...

Go through the poem and find the places where the poet is pointing out differences. You should find that there are more of those than there are similarities.

In Shakespeare's sonnets, the first 8 lines are on his first topic; then the last 6 lines present a contrast. Do you see it?

--------------------
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Answer 4

I'm sorry I have a brain freeze, I really don't get it.

Answer 5

The line

But thy eternal summer shall not fade..

Is that difference, or similar? Now check the other lines.