Hirsch vs Komunyakaa: Two views of Basketball

Although the two poems focus on basketball, they hold different perspectives on how the game should be treated and how they portray their view.  If I were writing a compare and contrast essay, I would write the first paragraph on talking about the similar and different perspective the two poems have.  While Hirsch views basketball as a graceful sport, Komunyakaa views the sport as a vicious battle where action is spontaneous and instant.  In the second paragraph, I would describe how the two poets structure their poem to convey their view through their use of diction.