Out-Out by Robert Frost and Mid Term Break by Seamus Heaney

Analyse the two poems Out-Out by Robert Frost and Mid Term Break

by Seamus Heaney by paying particular attention to the similarities

between the two poems

'Out-Out' was written by Robert Frost who was an American poet born in

1874. He moved to the New Englandfarm country, where most of his poems

were inspired. 'Mid Term Break' was written by Seamus Heaney, who was

born on a farm in county Londonderry in Northern Ireland.

The two poems are very similar and are both about the deaths of a

young child, one about a boy who loses his hand whilst using a buzz

saw; unfortunately, he also loses his life. In Mid Term Break the boy

loses his life in a car accident. He was only left with

"A poppy bruise on his left temple"

There are also lots of differences between the two poems. In Out-Out

the young boy was from quite a poor working class background in my

opinion, which meant that the young boy had to work for the day in

order to help the family. However the boy in Mid-Term Break was from a

higher class family and seemed to be in quite a posh school.

"College sick bay"

This could mean it is a boarding school because it has its own

sick-bay. The similarities between the poems are that both of the

deaths were accidents and were also quite brutal.

Out-Out is a poem of 34 lines of just one stanza. The poem is written

in the 3rd person by somebody that is narrating the story, and that

has no connections with the happenings of the poem. The way the poem

is written also makes it less tragic, as every line flows to the next

without giving much time to think about what has happened. The rhyming

also hides some of the sadness in the poem.

One point to consider is the shape of the poem, as it vaguely

resemble...

... middle of paper ...

...fer to catholic beliefs as in the religion

they light candles to remember peoples lives, and to send them to

heaven.

Unlike Out-Out the ending is far more dramatic and depressing rather

then the fading away from the story as happened In Out-Out, as you

didn't even know how old the boy was until the very last line. This

makes it seem very sad.

"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."

This is very effective because it explained everything that happened,

as we didn't know the story until the end. I think that makes the poem

much more emotional, not knowing what to think.

I believe Mid Term Break is more effective because of the was the poet

has described the death, and it seems much more emotional that

Out-Out.