Coursework comparing 'Mid-term break' and 'Funeral blues'

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Stacey Blackbird

Coursework comparing

'Mid-term break' and 'Funeral blues'

'Mid-term break was written by Seamus Heaney , a poet born in 1939 in County Derry, in Ireland. The poem is about the death of Heaney's younger brother who is unnamed.

'Funeral blues' was written by Wystan Hugh Auden, also a poet. Auden was born in 1907 in York, in England. The poem is about the death of Aden's lover and the feelings he felt when his lover died.

In both poems they describe the death of a loved one. Death is treated differently by the poets, ' Mid-term break' is written in an narrative way as Heaney writes about the death of his younger brother and how he felt around family and family friends .

"I sat all morning in the college sick bay

Counting bells knelling classes to a close.

At two o'clock our neighbours drove me home"

This a quotation from 'Mid-term break', this is the beginning of the poem and it explains that Heaney waited to be driven home by neighbours (possibly because his parents were to grief stricken to drive) counting lessons go by.

In 'funeral blues' death is treated a though it is the end of the world for the poet, this poem is mainly metaphorical in the way it is written.

" The stars are not wanted now, put out every one;

Pack up the moon dismantle the sun;"

This quotation describes to the reader to what extent he is grieving as he says in these two lines that things as beautiful as stars are now no longer wanted as his lover has died and with him everything beautiful in the universe.
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The title of 'Mid-term break' is misleading as the reader assumes that the poem is going to be positive as school holidays is associated with happiness. 'Funeral blues' on the other hand is not misleading as the poem is about death which a funeral is associated with.

There are cultural differences between the poets. Seamus Heaney grew up on his father's farm, his early memories of farm life gave Heaney much to write about when he was adult. Wystan Hugh Auden was brought up with a better financial background and his work was mainly based on the ...

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