Mid-Term Break by Seamus Heaney and Poem for My Sister by Liz Lochead

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refuses to refer to his brother as a person, choosing to say “the corpse” rather than ‘his corpse’ or ‘his body’, which suggests that he is trying to avoid his grief by denying his brother’s life ever happened. This part of the poem is filled with stifled emotion and Heaney’s mother’s “angry tearless sighs” also seem to reflect Heaney’s inability to deal with his emotions at this time. The third and final part of the poem consists of the last three stanzas, and can be summarised as Heaney’s acceptance of his brother’s death. “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,” Shows many things about the emotional change in Heaney. He seems to have accepted his brother’s death finally, and refers to “him” rather than “the” as he did previously. This stanza is also very calm and reflective, compared to the highly strung, emotional second part of the poem. The alliteration of the “s” sound is soothing and calming, and the pale colours used in description give a peaceful atmosphere. The second stanza of this part goes on to say: “Wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple, He lay in the four foot box as in his cot. No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear.” This verse also relies on colours to reflect the atmosphere, and the contrast between the “poppy bruise” and the pale calm described in the first stanza of this part shows the way that his brother’s death is emphasised when he begins to associate it with his own memories of his brother. The use of ‘poppy’ seems to represent his brother’s passing also, as since the Second World War poppies have been associated with death. Heaney describes the scene calmly again, and refers to “he lay in the four foot box as in his cot.” This phrase is soothing and makes the reader feel almost comforted that his brother is at peace. The use of “gaudy” is quite peculiar, as it means ‘showy’, ‘garish’ and ‘flashy’. When describing scars it seems as though Heaney could be commenting on how much attention his brother’s death has received, but how little attention his brother as a person has actually been bestowed, especially in memory. The last line of the poem appears to be the most poignant: “A four foot box, a foot for every year.” This line shows us that Heaney is accepting the experiences and life that his brother has had, and reflecting upon it. The line is also the only one that rhymes with is predecessor, which emphasises it and makes the reader reflect on its meaning and symbolism