Meaning is important in both poems, it shows us that death can strike at any time and can have a great impact on us. I think both poems have straight forward meaning- we see Benn Johnson trying to create meaning in his poem for why his son died. Ben Johnson blames himself for loving his child too much, even though we know that infant mortality was high at this point. Johnson does not take into mind the context of the time he was living in.
Structure is important in poems as it affects the rhythm and the tone, this could affect the whole meaning of a poem. Mid- Term Break and My first Sonne have very different structures. Mid term break has seven three line stanzas, followed by a single line stanza which ends the poem. Seamus Heaney uses each stanza to tell a different part of a story.
My first Sonne has a very different structure to Mid- Term Break, unlike Mid- Term Break it has only one stanza- however we doe see a split in the stanza where the mood changes. Johnson use rhyming couplets which helps the poem flow. We don not see rhyming couplets in Mid- Term Break which makes it harder to read.
Rhyming couplets help the rhythm in ‘My first Sonne’ and Johnson uses it effectively in order to get the poem to flow. My first Sonne could also be a sonnet as it talks about the love for his son and that he shall never love another child as much he did with him.
Ben Johnson creates a split in moods; however we do not see a new stanza. To me it is as if Ben Johnson has written this poem soon after the death of his son and the change of mood reflects on the cooling of Johnson’s mind. I think that if Johnson had created two stanzas the poem would be slightly more effective.
Language in the poems does not only help set the context but also helps the poets express their emotions and feelings. From the diction used in the poems we can tell the mood of the poet and what he or she is feeling. Mid Term Break, written not long ago has a very basic and normal use of lexis with some odd words- but it does not capture your attention immediately.
My first Sonne is written in 1616 and is in old English, however if it was translated today the poem would be harsh and bitter. Ben Johnson was a religious man and through out the poem we see religious references in expressions. For example- ‘child of my right hand’, he describes his relationship to his son like Gods with Jesus’. Even though the reader may not be religious the use of expressions makes it easier to understand than Mid Term Break.
Heaney in his final line uses alliteration to end the poem, this final stanza gains our sympathy and we empathise with him. Johnson uses a similar technique, using his final line to gain the views understanding and sympathy.
Both poets use words which describe what has happened and how they feel, for example Johnson describes his son being ‘exacted’. This is another meaning for collecting, debt collecting.
I feel that both poems are effective in their meaning- however personally My First Sonne gains my empathy more than Mid- Term Break. I think this is because it is more understandable and not as complex. Having lost a close person I can understand what Johnson feels- a rush of anger followed by love and regret.
