the poet, Heaney, takes a break from school but the break is far from joyful - the poem is about the death of his younger brother who was killed in car crash tone of the poem is very solemn, the speed is slow to convey a morbid and serious atmosphere foreshadows a death knell: the sound of a bell, esp. when rung solemnly for a death or funeral puts an emphasis on the grief being felt — if the father (who has always been stoic during funerals) has broken down, then things are definitely wrong double meaning because his son was hit by a car a juxtapose to the grief and sadness happening described the situation as awkward and uncomfortable common condolence phrases for someone who has died
Mid-Term Break Seamus Heaney I sat all morning in the college sick bay Counting bells knelling classes to a close. At two o'clock our neighbors drove me home. In the porch I met my father crying— He had always taken funerals in his stride— And Big Jim Evans saying it was a hard blow. The baby cooed and laughed and rocked the pram When I came in, and I was embarrassed By old men standing up to shake my hand And tell me they were 'sorry for my trouble,' Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest,
the poet has been away at boarding school or university
Away at school, as my mother held my hand
describes the mother’s hopelessness and anger towards her son’s death
In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs.
a very matter-of-fact tone, as if the writer feels numb
With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses.
stanch: stop or restrict (a flow of blood) from a wound metaphor to depict the candles helping to soften/numb the sad situation
At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived
Next morning I went up into the room. Snowdrops And candles soothed the bedside; I saw him For the first time in six weeks. Paler now,
poppy represents the blood of the dead, also an allusion to Remembrance Day
Wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple,
gaudy: garish, showy, vulgar
No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear.
refers to the driver that ‘bumped’/killed the brother an emotional and moving ending, leaves the reader shocked, also known as a tragic equation only one line because the poet intends for it to be shocking and poignant because the deceased was so young - powerful imagery
He lay in the four foot box as in his cot.
A four foot box, a foot for every year.
free verse poem about a civilian being held at gunpoint but while doing it, tries to educate a soldier about the meaning of war first person, written in the perspective of a civilian addressing a soldier apparition: ghost metaphor for bullets
death is impartial because it does not have judgement - if you die, you die no matter which side you are on
Civilian and Soldier Wole Soyinka My apparition rose from the fall of lead, Declared, 'I am a civilian.' It only served To aggravate your fright. For how could I Have risen, a being of this world, in that hour Of impartial death! And I thought also: nor is Your quarrel of this world. You stood still
because the poem is free verse, emjambment creates a break in poem, giving a warning-like appeal to the caution civilian uses eloquent vocabulary to sound civilized and shows that he is a civilized and cultured person, he has a clear conscience creates the image of bullets flying everywhere
For both eternities, and oh I heard the lesson Of your training sessions, cautioning — Scorch earth behind you, do not leave A dubious neutral to the rear. Reiteration Of my civilian quandary, burrowing earth From the lead festival of your more eager friends Worked the worse on your confusion, and when You brought the gun to bear on me, and death Twitched me gently in the eye, your plight And all of you came clear to me. I hope some day
1st stanza: introduces the civilian to the soldier
Intent upon my trade of living, to be checked
2nd stanza: civilian describes the soldier’s duty to kill
Signalling, I am a soldier. No hesitation then
3rd stanza: civilian shares that if the situation were reversed, he would welcome the soldier with open arms
In stride by your apparition in a trench, But I shall shoot you clean and fair With meat and bread, a gourd of wine A bunch of breasts from either arm, and that Lone question — do you friend, even now, know
the civilian questions the soldier on the purpose of war
What it is all about?
imagery - gives the image of a dirty, black filling station light, casual, curious tone emphasis on dirty and oily parentheses signify a side note
Filling Station
(part of the set), beside
repetition of the word ‘dirty’
Elizabeth Bishop
a big hirsute begonia.
Oh, but it is dirty!
Why the extraneous plant?
curious tone the person’s observations of the filling station - detailed imagery
—this little filling station,
Why the taboret?
gives an image that the whole filling station is gray except for these books
oil-soaked, oil-permeated
Why, oh why, the doily?
to a disturbing, over-all
(Embroidered in daisy stitch
doily: a small ornamental mat made of lace or paper with a lace pattern, typically placed on a plate under a cake or other sweet foods.
black translucency.
with marguerites, I think,
Be careful with that match!
and heavy with gray crochet.)
Father wears a dirty,
Somebody embroidered the doily.
oil-soaked monkey suit
Somebody waters the plant,
that cuts him under the arms,
or oils it, maybe. Somebody
and several quick and saucy
arranges the rows of cans
and greasy sons assist him
so that they softly say:
(it’s a family filling station),
esso—so—so—so
all quite thoroughly dirty.
to high-strung automobiles.
taboret: a low stool or small table. a kind of plant questioning the mystery of why such a dirty filling station has traces of a femininity and delicacy embroidery is feminine hobby a feminine quirk marguerites: an oftencultivated Eurasian daisy that has large white flowers with yellow centers. another feminine hobby
Somebody loves us all. Do they live in the station? It has a cement porch
humor
behind the pumps, and on it
repetition
a set of crushed and grease-
allusion to a woman or motherly figure, also says that behind every home (no matter how dirty), there are people who are looking out and caring for us.
impregnated wickerwork; on the wicker sofa a dirty dog, quite comfy. Some comic books provide the only note of color— of certain color. They lie upon a big dim doily draping a taboret