Parents’ reactions to their children’s growing up and becoming independent are depicted in Carl Sandbury’s "A Father Sees His Son Nearing Manhood" and in Phyllis McGinley’s "First Lesson". These two poems show the similarities and differences of fathers’ attitudes toward their sons and daughters.

Sandbury’s "A Father Sees His Son Nearing Manhood" shows fathers’ attitudes towards their sons. The father gives a lot of advice to his son and chock-full of hopes. Sandburg uses alliteration of "Life is hard; be steel; be a rock. And this might stand him for the storms" to convey his feelings for his son, which he wants his son to be strong and can face problems by himself. He also uses metaphor to ask his son to be gentle, "Life is a soft loam; be gentle; go easy." Sandburg uses repetition of "tell him" to advise his son to be solitude; to be different from other people; it is good to waste time and a tough will is useful. And in lines 11-12, poet suggests that sometimes-peaceful methods have the greatest impact. He also mentions Shakespeare and the others because he wants his son to understand them.

McGinley’s "First Lesson" is about the daughter’s views to her father’s attitudes of overprotective. She thinks her father is worry too much. She uses simile to convey this kind of thinking, she says, "Believing changes is a threat, like your first shoes with heels on, like your first Bicycle". In the whole poem, she uses rhythm scene of "ABCB" to convey her attitude of understanding toward her father. She knows the fathers are the worriers because of their children. They concern and care about their children.

There are similarities and differences between these two poems. The theme for Sandburg’s poem is, which has a lot of advice a father could give to his son and father has responsibilities to take care of their child. However, in the McGinley’s poem, the theme is fathers are too overprotective. So it is difference between these two poems. But one theme, which is same that is the purpose of the fathers’ attitudes of loving and care of their children. Also, the mood is different. As we reading, I feel stifling and caring of McGinley’ poem, but in Sandbury’s poem, I have a feeling of thoughtful. There also have some similarities. In line 4 of "A Father Sees His Son Nearing Manhood," Sandburg wrote, "And this might stand him for the storms". The word of "storms" is used metaphor to convey the father’s attitude toward his son. In line 3 of "First Lesson," McGinley used metaphor poetic device in the phase "dragon seekers" to convey men are the worriers and they are overprotective. The similarity is they both use metaphor to convey their feelings and views.

Despite how the fathers’ attitudes similar or different, one thing we can confirm is they love their children. They are doing things for their children. Sandburg’s "A Father Sees His Son Nearing Manhood" and McGinley’s "First Lesson" clearly show the conflicting attitudes that fathers toward their sons and daughters. We should have some ideas about that after we read these two poems.