Turning 21 defines a threshold in adulthood where an individual's actions further define them in life. Allowing leniency and the certainty to make mistakes and learn, 21-year-olds live free from obligations and constraints. Both “To Sir John Lade, on his Coming of Age” and “When I was One-and-Twenty” by Samuel Johnson and AE Housman respectively, characterize this feeling of freedom that comes with turning 21. Through the individual structure and cadence of the poems, both poets reflect on their experiences at age 21 and convey a message about freedom. Advising readers how to live life at 21 through different perspectives with attitudes of freedom in one and caution in the other, Johnson and Housman recommend an adventurous vision of the future. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Each poem echoes advice to the 21-year-old in different perspectives to create a personal atmosphere. Johnson uses his poem to address Sir John Lade, a colleague, whom he congratulates for having endured life and advises him to let go and enjoy the coming year. He writes, “Freed from the bonds of the minor,” explaining that Sir John is free from the expectations and obligations to which he was once bound. Throughout his poem, Johnson uses bird-related words including “flown,” “feather,” and “fly,” which have connotations of freedom and weightlessness. In being “unbound” Johnson conveys the image of a liberated bird. In contrast, Housman uses a personal anecdote of being warned to suggest the image of a caged heart. At the beginning a "wise man" tells the narrator to live freely but to guard "your heart." Housman reveals that he didn't listen to, "No use talking to me," as a way to counsel readers just as the sage did to him. Through this personal memory, Housman's analogy serves to encourage readers to live freely while Johnson used a broader perspective of all 21-year-olds to convey a similar message. In conveying the message, the two authors create different tones in their poems which ultimately lead to different results. approaches to the same advice. While Johnson encourages freedom without worry, Housman describes more of a warning to live cautiously. Johnson's poetry acts in an innately joyful way by telling readers to "let him wander as he will" or not to worry too much. Therefore, the ABAB structural rhyme scheme of each stanza creates this lighthearted and fun tone throughout the poem. Housman, on the other hand, seems apologetic from the start as he recalls his 21-year experience. He writes, “It was paid with sighs galore.” Without a clear rhyme scheme and syntax, reflecting remorse, it creates a dark tone compared to Johnson and conveys a warning message. He hopes the reader will live with caution and listen differently than he did when he was 21. The contrast of attitudes reveals the duality of freedom that both authors highlight. Johnson and Housman describe the double-edged nature of freedom through their premise of living to age 21. In the last quatrain, Johnson informs, “At last you can hang yourself or drown.” This line stands out from the joyful attitude of the rest of the poem as Johnson describes that one must live to one's fullest potential until the end or "drown" in a mundane life of obligation. Therefore, the 21st year determines the rest of your life as you finally have the freedom to live on your own terms and must choose whether to live adventurously or worry-filled. Likewise, Housman leans toward a life-without approach.