They say comparisons are odious. I say: compared to what?

They say comparisons are odious. I say: compared to what?

Defining night by darkness, death by dust.

Defining night by darkness, death by dust.

Such are thou and I: but what I am thou canst not be; what thou
art any one of read more

Such are thou and I: but what I am thou canst not be; what thou
art any one of the multitude may be.
[Lat., Hoc ego, tuque sumus: set quod sum, non potes esse:
Tu quod es, e populo quilibet esse potest.]

At whose sight, like the sun,
All others with diminish'd lustre shone.

At whose sight, like the sun,
All others with diminish'd lustre shone.

Glass antique! 'twixt thee and Nell
Draw we here a parallel!
She, like thee, was forced to read more

Glass antique! 'twixt thee and Nell
Draw we here a parallel!
She, like thee, was forced to bear
All reflections, foul or fair.
Thou art deep and bright within,
Depths as bright belong'd to Gwynne;
Thou art very frail as well,
Frail as flesh is,--so was Nell.

Comparisons are odious.

Comparisons are odious.

To liken them to your auld-warld squad,
I must needs say comparisons are odd.

To liken them to your auld-warld squad,
I must needs say comparisons are odd.

It has all the contortions of the sibyl without the inspiration.

It has all the contortions of the sibyl without the inspiration.

Some say, compared to Bononcini,
That Mynheer Handel's but a ninny;
Others aver, that he to Handel
read more

Some say, compared to Bononcini,
That Mynheer Handel's but a ninny;
Others aver, that he to Handel
Is scarcely fit to hold a Candle:
Strange all this difference should be,
'Twixt Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee!