In the poems, “A Barred Owl,” by Richard Wilbur, and “The History Teacher,” by Billy Collins, the narrators of both talk about when they “taught” children about aspects of life that weren’t particularly true. These poems include many different styles of conveying their story, including rhyme schemes and observations to the real world. Starting off with Wilbur’s poem, “A Barred Owl” uses a rhyme scheme to exemplify each line, making it more pronounced and impactful. Lines seven to ten give a prime example, specifically, “Words, which can make out terrors bravely clear / Can also thus domesticate a fear,” (Wilbur 7-8). This gives meaning to how the child could be terrified of the owl, but the rhyme scheme gives it a more pronounced “meaning”
