‘ ‘Out Out- ’ ’ has a much more peaceful atmosphere. Frost sets the scene in the first ten lines. He describes a peaceful scene of rural splendour evoked through the description of the sunset. Frost makes use of all the senses to help emphasise the beauty of Vermont, ‘Sweet scented stuff’. There is however a sense of dread and anxiousness in the atmosphere also. The mention of the buzz saw in the very first line seems to be an omen of danger. The reader is immediately waiting for something bad to happen. By describing the noises of the saw, ‘snarled and rattled’, the attention is always on it and the reader is constantly reminded of its presence. This is ominous to the reader. The poem moves very quickly in the middle. The sudden movements in the plot of the poem result in a change in mood and atmosphere. The reader is now shocked at what they read. As the accident unfolds before them Frost makes sure that the shock is sustained. The shock is displayed by a sudden exclamation, ‘but the hand!’. The boy’s reaction is to laugh which also is shocking and the reader starts to feel disbelief. The immediacy and power of the poem is sustained by moment-by-moment commentary. Frost describes all sights and sounds to make the descriptions as detailed and therefore vivid as possible. This running commentary heightens the dramatic impact of the poem and also heightens the emotional impact for the reader. The reactions of the reader mirror that of those in the poem, horror and shock. As Frost created such a peaceful atmosphere at the start of the poem this sudden change in atmosphere is all the more shocking. The impact is so much greater due to the fact that it is very unexpected. The rapid series of developments bring new horror with every line and help create a very intense mood. The reader soon discovers that the accident is only the start and that the repercussions are just as heart breaking. In the closing lines there is yet another sudden change in atmosphere. The mood is quiet once more as ‘he laid and puffed his lips’. As the boy is anaesthetised the reader feels relieved as they assume that as the doctor has arrived the boy will be fine. However the reader is yet again shocked as the unpredictable ether does not save the boy but kills him. The shock here is still not anywhere near the intensity as in the middle of the poem. His life seems to have faded away and although ‘No one believed’ there is no sudden grief. There is no panic in the atmosphere and the reader mirrors the characters in the poem in accepting the death. This contrasts with ‘Mid-Term Break’ as in that poem the death is not accepted. The absence of emotional reaction creates a small tension in the mood, almost as if the doctor’s and the reader’s breathe was held as the pulse of the boy diminished. However this mood is overcome with the acceptance of the death as the boy’s fate. As the reader reads the final lines they are overcome by Frost’s bleak message about the insignificance of life. The closing lines of the poem emphasise this more than any of the others. ‘And they since they were not the one dead, turned to their affairs’ it is as if the boy didn’t matter and although the death is very sad the mood at this point is more philosophical than tragic. This is the opposite of ‘Mid-Term Break’ as that is filled with over-whelming grief and sense of enormous loss while ‘ ‘Out Out- ’ ’ contains neither of these things.
In ‘Mid-Term Break’ Seamus Heaney uses a number of poetic techniques to draw the reader into the events of the poem. In the first stanza of the poem Heaney focuses on the fact that his routine was disturbed. Instead of being in class he ‘sat all morning in the college sick bay’. Not only is this a disturbance of his routine he is also isolated from his class mates. This is the first suggestion that death and grief isolates. Heaney is also taken home ‘mid-term’ which is another suggestion that things are not normal. ‘At two o’clock our neighbours drove me home’, although this is not such an unusual statement, if it was part of Heaney’s daily routine it would not have been stated. The first stanza is unsettling and vague which mirrors Heaney’s feelings. ‘Knelling’ which is a word specifically associated with death is our first clue that a death has occurred. Alliteration creates the silence in the sick bay, ‘counting bells, knelling classes to a close’. The silence is broken by the harsh noises of the bells and this is shown by the sibilance in ‘counting bells, knelling classes to a close’. Heaney uses the cumulative effect very well. By incorporating lots of words about death in a short space of time the reader is overcome by the theme, even though it remains well hidden until the middle of the poem. He uses words such as ‘knelling’, ‘funerals’, ‘corpse’, ‘four foot box’, ‘crying’, and ‘poppy’. Even the mention of ‘snowdrops’ can be linked to death, as their white colour is a sign of mourning in some countries. This cumulative effect of the language helps to create mood and atmosphere but also makes sure that the theme of the poem is clearly communicated and remembered throughout. The reader cannot escape from the theme of death as it is constantly mentioned. By describing in detail the reactions of his family and friends, Heaney helps us with our assumptions that a death has occurred. We are told ‘He had always taken funerals in his stride’ about his father. This use of the word ‘funerals’ again reminds the reader of death. Big Jim Evans describes the news as a ‘hard blow’. This is ironic as we later find out that the child also incurred a ‘hard blow’. He is obviously not emotional by reputation but even he shows signs of grief again hinting towards a death. We are told his mother ‘coughs out angry tearless sighs’, like she is chocking on her own grief. The sibilance in that statement also indicates the noise she is making. ‘Coughed out’ suggests a harsh choking sound that occasionally punctuates the silence. She is rendered speechless by the news. There is large amount of supportive community members in the room but it is still silent. We know this because if people were talking then you would not be able to hear her coughing. ‘Whispers informed strangers’ the mood is obviously awkward but respectful at this point. There is an oppressive silence. This is shown by language such as ‘whispers’ and frequent alliteration. The focus at this point is on the passing of time. ‘At two o’clock’, ‘At ten o’clock’, ‘Next morning’. This reaffirms for us the clarity of Heaney’s memory reminding us that it was a huge impact on his life. He remembers precisely when these events happened. The constant reminder of the time also gives a sense of the length of that day and the waiting Heaney and his family incurred. The reader is also kept waiting to see what exactly has happened. There is clearly a rising tension as they await the arrival of the body. This is made clear when Heaney makes reference to him as ‘the corpse’. Death has changed his brother, he is no longer ‘real’. It is as if what is returned is not Heaney’s brother. Heaney clearly keeps a distance. He has not, at this point in the poem, accepted the reality of what has happened. Heaney’s youth and inexperience of the subject is shown by his anxiety and also because he waits until the next morning to see the body. There is a sense of death separating. Time is used again to show this. ‘The next morning’. That morning arrives for Heaney but not for his brother. His brother’s time stopped on the day of the accident. As Heaney looks back as an adult he is older, his brother is not. In the final line ‘four foot box, a foot for every year’, time is used again to help describe the incident. In the final two stanzas of the poem Heaney faces his fears and views the body. The whole atmosphere is softened by Heaney’ relief at what he sees. He sees his brother more as a frozen image that is not frightening. ‘He lay in the four foot box as if in his cot’, although he looks as if he is sleeping the shocking difference of the ‘four foot box’ is also noted. ‘Snowdrops and candles soothed the bedside’, Heaney is trying to give the reader the same small sense of relief that he had. Snowdrops are small, white and cold symbolising his brother. Snowdrops are also symbolic of a dead child. Heaney suddenly views ‘the corpse’ as his brother. He is soothed by this and starts to gain acceptance. Heaney searches for differences in his brother’s appearance and looks for signs of death. ‘Paler now’ but there are no huge physical differences. ‘No gaudy scars’, his brother does not look gruesome. This is a relief for both Heaney and the reader. We are told he was ‘wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple’. This mention of a poppy is a clear sign of remembrance for his brother and it is also clear that this is what Heaney will always remember. The splash of vivid red contrasts with the pale skin of the child. The onomatopoeia ‘pop’ creates impact and focuses the attention onto the bruise. The final line is monosyllabic as this is the moment of acceptance for Heaney but also the moment where the reader discovers the full extent of the tragedy. The short words have a hard impact. There is a sense of finality. It is only now that we realise the full reality. Until this point we are kept in the dark. The repetition of detail ‘four foot box’ reminds us that child is in his coffin. The shock impact of the moment of realisation and grief is emphasised by the harsh monosyllabic words. The language throughout the poem is not elevated or poetic but ‘every day’. This language observes and captures the raw grief and suffering. There is no softening or easing of the moment through rhetorical or elevated description. This choice of language is very appropriate as it indicates the suffering of ordinary people. The simplicity of the language is direct and therefore very powerful and effective.
Robert Frost also uses a number of poetic techniques in ‘ ‘Out Out- ’ ’ in order to make his poem as involving for the reader as possible. The language has occasional poetic qualities in description but is essentially ordinary and not elevated. This is similar to ‘Mid-Term Break’. There is more immediacy in this poem with a commentary like manner at some points. It is similar to ‘Mid-Term Break’ as it takes us into the action and we become an ‘observer’ as the events unfold. Frost spends the first ten lines of the poem setting the scene and describing the surroundings. He describes the picturesque landscape of Vermont on the east coast of America. It is clearly a place of rural beauty. ‘Five mountain ranges one behind the other’, the five large mountains are awe inspiring and are full of grandeur but they are also imposing making the people around them look small. This indicates their insignificance. Frost clearly believes that nature as a spectacle is awe inspiring and timeless. There is a clear sense of its permanence. In Frost’s eyes people contrast with this. They are small, insignificant and transient. They do not endure what the scenery around them does. This message of the insignificance of life is later illustrated more by the death of the boy and the reactions of those around him. Atmosphere is created by appealing to all senses. As well as sight Frost appeals to smell and touch. ‘sweet scented stuff’, ‘breeze’. The use of the word ‘breeze’ also makes the atmosphere seem gentle. The alliteration and sibilance in ‘sweet scented stuff’ represents the harmony of nature. This conflicts with human presence, as it is clear from the first mention of ‘the buzz saw’ that danger will occur. This first mention acts as a warning for the reader. The tranquillity is threatened in the very first line. The monosyllabic noise of ‘the buzz saw’ puts emphasis on the first line particularly the saw. The harsh ‘b’ sound coupled with the double ‘z’ contrasts with the peaceful surroundings. The peace is disturbed and it seems that ‘the buzz saw’ is inescapable. The coupling of the words ‘snarled and rattled’ to describe the noise of the buzz saw is very effective. It focuses our attention on the saw and the constant repetition of this phrase constantly reminds the reader of its presence. The amount the saw is mentioned means an ominous danger. ‘Snarled’ also creates the image of a savage beast preparing an attack. Not only does this suggest a warning but is also adds to the danger due to its unpredictability. ‘Rattled’ evokes noise and warning and suggests movement. The opening lines offer an uneasy juxtaposition of the natural world with man. There is a clear contrast. Due to the detailed description of the surrounding the reader is immediately taken into the world of the poem. There is almost a running commentary through the poem as we are told things as they happen. This contrasts with ‘Mid-Term Break’ as the action is happening rather then just dealing with the aftermath. There is a rising expectation of violence as the focus is constantly on ‘the buzz saw’. There is a sense of dread from the very first mention of it. The constant reminders of the saw’s presence heightens the reader’s emotional response. The action unfolds rapidly and every action is detailed and told to us moment by moment. This is like a commentary. Frost uses dialogue to make the scene even more vivid for the reader. This is a very powerful tool for evoking an emotional response from the reader. The boy’s words frame a plea for his hand to be saved. ‘Don’t let them cut my hand off’, ‘Don’t let them sister!’ At this point in the poem we know more than the boy does, ‘but the hand was already gone’. We now it is too late for the hand but the boy does not. ‘As if to prove saws knew what supper meant, leaped out at the boy’s hand, or seemed to leap’ this is personification. It makes the saw seem like it’s thinking and alive. This adds greatly to the feeling of unpredictability. Immediacy and power of the poem is sustained by moment-by-moment commentary. By detailing sights and sounds as they happen Frost heightens the dramatic and emotional impact. The event is clearly unexpected and it occurs at the end of the day, which should be restful. The reader feels horror at the repercussions of the accident. In the closing lines it appears that the peace from the beginning of the poem has been restored. The reader feels relief at the arrival of the doctor. ‘He lay and puffed his lips’. The onomatopoeia in ‘puffed’ symbolises the gentle breathing of the boy. As the boy is anaesthetised there is another shock for the reader as he dies. ‘No-one believed’. As the reader panics there seems to be mirrored response from the characters in the poem. It is as if he just faded away ‘little-less-nothing!’. ‘And that ended it’ there is an immediate sense of finality and acceptance which contrasts greatly with ‘Mid-Term Break’. In ‘Mid-Term Break’ the death is not accepted. There is an absence of emotional reaction, which indicates an instant acceptance of his fate. It is an acceptance of the random and transient nature of life that is not present in ‘Mid-Term Break’. Frost’s message is at it’s clearest now. That a life has ended and that is final. There is no suggestion of an afterlife, ‘no more to build on there’. Death seems to be a natural process. There is a very bleak conclusion and outlook on life. There is no sense of redemption or purpose. The final line is the most hard hitting in the poem. ‘And they since they were not the one dead, turned to their affairs’. This lack of emotion emphasises Frost’s message of the insignificance of life. The individual is obviously of little value meaning that in the long term mankind is not important.
The structure for both poems is appropriate. In ‘Mid-Term Break’ the structure is regular except for the final lines. There are seven stanzas all of three lines each. Although an irregular structure would have been appropriate to go with the irregular events that is not what Heaney wanted to show. He wanted to show that time moves on even though his routine has been disrupted. The regular structure Heaney has chosen is therefore appropriate to show that life goes on. Heaney uses his structure for emphasis. By placing the final line separate it gains impact. The line stays with the reader and is very memorable. This structure effectively communicates full enormity of grief and loss. This regular structure contrast with the irregular structure of ‘ ‘Out Out- ’ ’. ‘ ‘Out Out- ’ ’ is a thirty-four line poem and all lines are of an irregular length. There are no stanzas. This irregular structure sustains impression of commentary and events being described as they happen. The structure appears to be spontaneous like the events. However if I look at the internal structure it reveals organisation. The first fifteen lines create atmosphere, in lines fifteen and sixteen the accident occurs and the second half of the poem records rapid developments and the consequences of the accident. The irregular structure of the poem is appropriate and so is the hidden regular internal structure. There appears to be no internal structure in ‘Mid-Term Break’.
Neither poems have a formal rhyme scheme. In both cases this is appropriate due to the events of the poem. In ‘Mid-Term Break’ the lack of rhyme is appropriate to the content and style of the poem. The lack of order represents Heaney and his family’s disrupted lives. The death of his brother goes against natural order. Parents should die before their children. It is wrong that Heaney’s brother has died so young so a regular rhyme scheme would not have been appropriate. A regular rhyme scheme suggests regular events and quite the opposite has occurred in the poem. Like ‘Mid-Term Break’, ‘ ‘Out Out- ’ ’ also has no strict rhyme scheme but there is an occasional echo of words. Again this is appropriate due to the content and style of the poem. The poem records a random accident and a regular rhyme scheme suggests order. The way that the poem uses commentary is spontaneous. Therefore like ‘Mid-Term Break’ a strict or formal rhyme scheme would b inappropriate.
Like the rest of the poem the rhythm in both poems is irregular. This is appropriate in both poems. In ‘Mid-Term Break’ this is appropriate due to the disruption of Heaney’s life and daily routine. Sentence throughout the poem are long and become progressively longer in the middle. This represents the waiting and how long the day felt to Heaney’s family. Enjamberment is used to show that time and life goes on. The long sentences record a series of observations and emotions quickly one after another. This is overwhelming for the reader and helps them feel part of what the family feels. Internally the rhythm is used to communicate changing events and emotions. In the final stanzas the sentences are shorter and there are more pauses. This suggests hesitancy and uncertainty as Heaney enters the room to see his dead brother for the first time. The use of a pause in ‘with the corpse, stanched and bandaged by nurses’, draws attention to the word corpse. The monosyllabic words in the final line changes the rhythm again. This new staccato rhythm communicates the force of the impact of pain, anger, grief and loss. ‘ ‘Out Out- ’ ’ also has an irregular rhythm. This rhythm is used to create a forward momentum. There are few pauses, long sentences and a use of enjamberment to help make the events seem ongoing. The internal rhythm is used to underscore and support the action. At the start of the poem there are few pauses and the poem moves forward steadily. In line nine there is an increase in pauses and punctuation. ‘And nothing happened: day was all but done.’ This is appropriate because it supports the action happening in the poem. The day is ending and people are slowing and stopping. Shifts and changes in the rhythm throughout the poem are subtle to add to the effect and shock and to make sure that the events remain unpredictable.
The title ‘Mid-Term Break’ is appropriate in a few ways. It has a literal application in reference to Heaney’s disrupted college term. It also has a metaphoric application in reference to the child. The child itself has been cut of ‘mid-term’. His life has ended before he has lived out his natural term. It also has an ironic application. It leads the reader into believing pleasant things like a holiday. This increases the shock and impact when you read the actual content of the poem. The title ‘ ‘Out Out- ’ ’ is also an appropriate one. It is a quotation from Macbeth’s soliloquy, Act 5 Scene 5. It has a very philosophical message about the insignificance of life, which is exactly the message Frost wants to portray. In the soliloquy, Macbeth reflects on the fact that life and endeavours have lead to nothing. His speech ends on the word nothing, which is very significance as Frost is trying to show the unimportance of life. Macbeth says that ‘life is a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury signifying nothing’. This is negative evaluation of human life that Frost also believes in. In the soliloquy life is also symbolised by a candle, which is easily extinguished, lacks substance and is fragile, vulnerable and transient. The boy’s life in the poem was blown out just like a candle.
At first glance both poems seem to be very similar but after reading the poems the differences are very clear. ‘ ‘Out Out- ’ ’ offers a more philosophical viewpoint but lacks the emotion of ‘Mid-Term Break’. Although the poems share a similar theme they offer very different points of view. Heaney tries to express the importance of life while Frost does the very opposite. I think that both poems are very successful in achieving what they aimed to achieve. I prefer ‘ ‘Out Out- ’ ’ by Robert Frost because I think that is point of view is unusual and interesting. I also liked his more philosophical approach. Frost seems to be answering the question ‘What is the meaning of life?’ People usually turn to religion for an answer but Robert Frost has found one within himself. Although I do not agree with his bleak outlook I did find his opinion more interesting. I also enjoyed seeing the action in the poem rather than just the aftermath and I thought it was interesting to see the events develop as they happened. ‘ ‘Out Out- ’ ’ was a more unusual poem and I think that Robert Frost took a more abnormal and therefore interesting approach to writing it.
