In Milton's L'Allegro, happiness is potrayed as very "light and fluffy." The joys the speaker is faced with are innocent and fun. They almost seem dream-like. He seems to take pleasure in the small things, and joy is everywhere. In contrast, Il Penseroso's happiness is one that comes more from logic than just the pure sensation of joy. His idea of happiness is that most is in vain and certainly not innocent.

In L'Allegro happiness comes from a sense of euphoria and bliss. After melancholy is cast off with its darkness and gloom, a sense of unearthly Heaven is displayed in rejoicement. Allusions to Greek myth are made to show the idea of happiness coming from an unwordly place. Such lines as "the frolic wind that breathes the spring" (18) give a light and airy feel to this concept of joy and contentment. Certainly "frolic" brings to mind innocent images such as children running around playfully. The speaker in this poem let's himself fall endlessly into mirth. He describes just what mirth brings, which is basically fun and games. In lines 129 and 130, Milton writes, "Such sights as youthful poets dream/ On summer eves by haunted stream." The sights and dreams he's refering to are probably those poems and plays that closest to fantasy. An example could be the forest in "A MidSummer Night's Dream." The characters and setting are so strange and magical, that it could only be seen if fantasy. The joys found in fantasy can be unconsequential and careless. That is the mirth that this speaker wants the most in L'Allegro.

Il Peneroso is all about the joys in life which are realistic. The speaker puts down fantasy and elevates the ideas of work and purpose. Everything seems to be written about darkness and gloom, and how it comes from vain happiness. Line 35 and 36 say, "And sable stole of cypress lawn/Over thy decent shoulders drawn." This is a solemn, down to Earth description of a less-than-perfect life. It is completely opposite of the tone and ideas in the first poem. The last few lines tell exactly what kind of happy life the speaker wishes for: "Where I may sit and rightly spell/of every star that heaven doth shew" (170-171). In other words, he wants to study in solitude and learn more about the world, which is not at all fantasy. Though this last statement is completely different from the first poem, similar comparisons are still able to be drawn between the two. For example, both poems use allegory of Greek (Roman?) myths to describe their states of happiness in life. They also have a similar ending which describes each speaker's preferred way of life. Each ending uses apostrophe to close the speaker's last thoughts. In L'Allegro mirth is being adressed, and in Il Peneroso melancholy is humor. I really feel that these poems work well together as they compare completely seperate ideas of joy in similar ways.