Mid-Term Break
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,
Away at school, as my mother held my hand
In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs.
At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived
With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses.
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,
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.
A four foot box, a foot for every year.
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,
Away at school, as my mother held my hand
In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs.
At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived
With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses.
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,
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.
A four foot box, a foot for every year.
Seamus Heaney
This poem was fine, I like how it dragged out and didn't tell you much it the beginning. It transitioned well and the beginning brought light to an aspect of the situation that was the age of the child.
ReplyDeleteThis poem kinda of reminds me when i moved to perth amboy 2 years ago because my mom and dad were getting a divorce.I didnt want to come because my life was fine in P.A but we came anyways.I hated it with a passion and i was doing everything to leave. Now 2 years later my moms getting married and im not to happy about it , but i have to stop being selfish because my mom has to have a life to and i want her to be happy.
ReplyDeleteThis poem talks about a dramatic life changing event in the narators life. It reminds me of the time i had in the picture i brought in the other day. How everything was picture perfect and then in a matter of weeks, everything comes crumbling down. I started losing friends slowly after that day.
ReplyDelete"A four foot box, a foot for every year."
ReplyDeleteI like this poem a lot. My favorite line is that one because it took me a while to get that it was the brother who died was four! I like that the poet had the scenes like it was a blur. I could relate to it cause when i look back at my happier times all i get is memories and its like a blur to me kinda. But i can pinpoint every important detail like Heaney had done. i actually like this poem because of the title. "Mid-term Break" when i think of break i think of fun and hanging out. not a funeral going to happen. I like that it was sort of a twist in the poem.
Mid-term Break
ReplyDeleteBy Seamus Heaney
Favorite Line: "A four foot box, a foot for every year."
Finally, a good poem that I can relate to, and it is a poem that is told very well done. In life unexpected things always happen, doesn't mean it has to be as severe as death, but a huge change can happen in the blink of an eye. An example is like what happened to this poor baby when he got hit by a car. The way this poem was written really impresses me. All the info I had to know, I found out even though the author did not directly say it. Overall, one of my favorite poems. SUPERB JOB MATE!
"And tell me they were 'sorry for my trouble,'
ReplyDeleteWhispers informed strangers I was the eldest,
Away at school, as my mother held my hand
In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs."
I feel like this is the worst way to be informed of a death. Being away at school and finding out about an event like this must be the worst possible thing that could happen to someone. I like that line above because it's a typical funeral setting and I could picture it.