Mid Term Break Seamus Heaney Mid-Term Break By Seamus Heaney What is Mid-Term Break about? The poem is about the death of Heaneys infant brother (Christopher) and how people (including himself) reacted to this. The poem is written from the
"Mid Term Break Seamus Heaney Mid-Term Break By" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to
download and print the materials on this website for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it
on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright
notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this
agreement.
Presentation Transcript
01
Mid Term Break Seamus Heaney<br>
02
Mid-Term Break
By Seamus Heaney What is Mid-Term Break about? The poem is about the death of Heaney's infant brother (Christopher) and how people (including himself) reacted to this.
The poem is written from the point of view of a young Heaney, summoned from school after his brother died.<br>
03
Mid-Term Break
By Seamus Heaney<br>
04
Mid-Term Break
By Seamus Heaney “…four foot box…” Mirrors the idea of time passing “…bells knelling…” Mirrors the sound of the bells. “No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear.
A four foot box, a foot for every year.” Signifies the end of the poem. The act of death followed by the realisation. “…wearing a poppy bruise…” ‘wearing’ suggests the bruise could be removed. “…bells knelling…”
“baby cooed and laughed…” Reminds us of funeral bells.
Shows innocence / happiness in contrast to what is going on. “…angry, tearless sighs…”
“…I met my father crying…” Signifies pure grief, ‘all cried out’
A child’s realisation that adults are flawed, have emotions etc. “He lay in the four foot box as in his cot.” Suggestion of safety.
Child looks at peace, as if sleeping. “…wearing a poppy bruise…” ‘poppy’ signifies remembrance.<br>
05
Themes Childhood – The poem involves the poet recalling an event from his own childhood.
It involves the narrator ‘growing up’ due to the terrible nature of the experience.
Death / Loss – The fact that the poem deals with the death of a child, encourages the reader and narrator to question the pointlessness of death.
Focus of the poem is on the reactions of people to death and the way people attempt to make sense of the loss.
Memory – Poem recalls an event from the past and this links it to other poems in the collection that involve looking back in order to see the present and future clearly.<br>
06
Mid-Term Break
By Seamus Heaney How does the young Heaney feel?<br>
07
Mid-Term Break Questions How do you think the boy felt as the men came up to shake his hand?
How does the father normally deal with funerals?
What differences are there in the mother's and the father's reactions?
In what way is the boy's body described in the poem?
Describe the different emotions dealt with in the poem.
How old was Seamus Heaney's brother when he died?<br>
08
Mid-Term Break
By Seamus Heaney Junior Certificate Question Poems often deal with emotional situations. Write about a poem with an emotional theme. Say what the poem is about and show how successful the author was in describing an emotional time.<br>
09
Mid-Term Break
By Seamus Heaney What are you being asked to do? Poems often deal with emotional situations. Write about a poem with an emotional theme. Say what the poem is about and show how successful the author was in describing an emotional time. Identify what the theme is.
Why is this theme emotional?
Why is this particularly emotional? What techniques does the poet use?
Is the poem explicitly emotional?
How has the poet’s word choice etc. conveyed the emotion of the event?<br>
10
Mid-Term Break
By Seamus Heaney Introduction Your introduction must include:
Title
Author
Genre
Link to Question
Short Summary<br>
