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Ben Jonson’s “To the Memory of My Beloved, The Author, Mr. William Shakespeare, and What He Hath Left Us” and John Milton’s “On Shakespeare” are both tributes to Shakespeare that try to bring to light how he has affected the world. Although the topics of both poems are the same and imagery used in them is similar, there are differences in style and how Shakespeare is depicted. In John Milton’s poem, Shakespeare …

…in style and tone, Milton’s poem being more serene and concise while Jonson’s poem being longwinded and grandiose, both utilize similar imagery to assert their argument. They both make use of Greeks mythology, especially the muses, stating that Shakespeare’s work is as great, if not greater, than the work of the Greek gods. The two poems both argue that because Shakespeare is so great, he will be remembered forever through his work.