Understanding Poetry: ‘Mid-Term Break’ Analysis

‘Mid-Term Break’ National 5 English

Lesson Objectives • Look at the poem ‘Mid-Term Break’ by Seamus Heaney • Consider the effect of the title of the poem • Introduction to analysing poetry

Think, Pair, Share • Take one minute to THINK in silence about what impression you get from the title. What is the poem going to be about? • One minute to SHARE your thoughts with your partner • SHARE your ideas with the rest of the class

What’s it really about? • Read the text of the poem • Having read the poem, what do you now realise that it is about? • Why do you think, therefore, that the poet chose such an ambiguous title?

Get into the spirit of poetry! • The SPIRIT technique gives you a quick way to crack open a poem, pull it apart and explore the main ideas and themes. • It features six areas of analysis. • Copy this table into your jotter to refer to later.

Task 1 • What does each area for analysis include? • What should you be looking for / thinking about? • The teacher will allocate you ONE of the areas. With your partner, take 5 minutes to create a mini-mindmap of what you think that analysis area would include.

Stanza One First clue that something is wrong Used to describe funeral bells. Foreshadows the ending of the poem. I sat all morning in the college sick bayCounting bells knelling classes to a close,At two o'clock our neighbours drove me home. Alliteration. Creates the rhythm of a bell swinging. Imagery Second clue. Tension is being created.

Imagery. Unusual to see a man crying. Boys tend to idolise their fathers. Shocking to poet. Stanza two Metaphor. Childish confusion. Unable to understand the situation. 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. Pun. Double meaning - an emotional blow/shock, but also image of the impact of the car.

Stanza three Almost inappropriate given the situation. Highlights innocence of baby. Contrasts with poet himself. Onomatopoeia The baby cooed and laughed and rocked the pramWhen I came in, and I was embarrassedBy old men standing up to shake my hand Emotions. Feels confused and awkward. A sign of respect. Unusual as normally young people show respect to elders.

Stanza four Euphemism. A platitude. Awkwardness of the visitors also. Enjambement And tell me they were "sorry for my trouble,"Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest,Away at school, as my mother held my hand A mark of respect, but ultimately creates an unpleasant atmosphere Responsibility for his younger brother. Suggests he feels guilty.

Reveals the mother’s emotions. Juxtaposed to image of father. How does she really feel? What is her reason for holding hands? Stanza five Enjambement In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs.At ten o'clock the ambulance arrivedWith the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses. Dehumanised. Poet is detached from the situation. Can’t accept brother’s death.

Stanza six Again, detached. Can’t relate it to his brother. Small white flower. Pure. Innocent. Time shift Next morning I went up into the room. SnowdropsAnd candles soothed the bedside; I saw himFor the first time in six weeks. Paler now, Simplistic imagery. Guilty at not having been there. Personification. Creates a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Sibilance used to mimic a mother and baby.

Stanza seven & Final line Metaphor. Shape/size/colour, but also the association with death/remembrance. Wearing a poppy bruise on the left temple,He lay in the four foot box as in a cot.No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear. A four foot box, a foot for every year. Simile. Appears as if he is asleep. Tender image. Shock to the reader. Single line Reveals the accident Only rhyme in the poem Repetition & Alliteration

Understanding Poetry: ‘Mid-Term Break’ Analysis