Mid-term break (1966) – Seamus Heaney Assonance

Notice the assonance

I sat all morning in the college sick bay in "bells knelling",
which has the effect of
Counting bells knelling1 classes to a close. imitating the ringing of
bells (onomatopoeia). In
At two o'clock our neighbours drove me home. addition, the longer vowel
sounds take longer to say,
which has the effect of
drawing out the line and
In the porch I met my father crying - helping to convey how
long the morning must
He had always taken funerals in his stride – 5 have felt for the speaker.
And Big Jim Evans saying it was a hard blow.

The baby cooed and laughed and rocked the pram

When I came in, and I was embarrassed Enjambment
By old men standing up to shake my hand The use of
enjambment
in the poem adds to
And tell me they were "sorry for my trouble"; 10 the
Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest, idea of lack of control.

Away at school, as my mother held my hand Events that the

In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs.

At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived
With the corpse, stanched2 and bandaged by the nurses. 15

Next morning I went up into the room. Snowdrops

And candles soothed the bedside; I saw him
For the first time in six weeks. Paler now,

Wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple,

He lay in the four foot box as in his cot. 20
No gaudy3 scars, the bumper knocked him clear.

A four foot box, a foot for every year.

_____________________________________________________________________________
1. knelling - ringing solemnly (from "knell", the sound of a bell, especially when rung
solemnly for a death or funeral, or as a warning of disaster)
2. stanched - (also "staunched") stopped from bleeding
3. gaudy - tastelessly bright or showy

Seamus Heaney (1939-2013, Ireland)

Heaney was born to farming parents in Northern Ireland. Educated in Northern Ireland, he taught
both in America and at Oxford University in England. Heaney was a productive writer and wrote
many books of poetry as well as plays and essays. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995.

Introduction
"Mid-term break" is a sad poem that relates the death of Heaney's brother. The speaker starts by
counting down and waiting for school to end, then arriving at home for the funeral, to having a
quiet and sad moment with his decease brother the next day. The economy and restraint of the
poem communicate a sadness. The poem is elegiac in its nature, but instead of resurrecting the
brother in landscape (as is often the case with an elegy) the speaker remembers the event with
harsh clarity. Straightforward, conversational language helps to convey the detached observation
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of details. It is only at the end of the poem that the poignancy of the speaker's own reaction to his
brother's death becomes most moving.

Before reading (discussion)

Have you ever seen a small coffin? How did you react? Did the size shock you or make you sad?
Why?

Contextual Questions:
1. List the siblings in this poem from oldest to youngest. (3)
2. Outline how the child died. (1)
3. Explain the effect of using parenthesis in line 5. (2)
4. How does the simile in line 20 affect your understanding of the deceased? (2)
5. Discuss the effectiveness of the title. (2)

Essay
The tragedy of this poem is revealed not through elaborate emotional outpourings, but
rather through the restraint of the speaker.
In an essay of approximately 250-300 words, discuss how this is possible. (l0)

The Big Picture

• During this unit you will:
• Read the poem Mid-Term Break by Seamus Heaney
• Discuss the themes and meanings of the poem
• Understand what is meant by the terms: euphemism, simile, metaphor and transferred
epithet

What are the characteristics of Heaney’s work?

• Heaney's work often deals with the local - that is, his surroundings and everything
inclusive of them. Inevitably this means Ireland, and particularly Northern Ireland. Hints
of sectarian violence, which began just as his writing career did, can be found in many
of his poems, even in works that on the surface appear to deal with something else.
• Despite his many travels much of his work appears to be set in rural Londonderry, the
county of his childhood. Like the Troubles themselves, Heaney's work is deeply
associated with the lessons of history, sometimes even prehistory.
Many of his works concern his own family history and focus on characters in his own
family: they can be read as elegies (funeral speech or song) for those family members.

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.

Mid-Term Break
Sense of isolation / immediate suggestion of sickness and death.
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.

Stanza Analysis

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 I sat all morning in the college sick bay • Sense of isolation / immediate suggestion of
Counting bells knelling classes to a sickness and death.
close. • Onomatopoeia – idea of funeral bells.
• Long, drawn out event, lots of time to think.
At two o’clock our neighbours drove me
home.

In the porch I met my father crying – • Sense that the father is out with the grief of
He had always taken funerals in his the house, hiding his feelings.
stride – • Death had been experienced before,
although not in this way.
And Big Jim Evans saying it was a hard
• Cruel (though not done out of spite) pun.
blow.

The baby cooed and laughed and • Baby is an innocent, unaware of the events
rocked the pram that are taking place.
When I came in, and I was embarrassed • Although Heaney has taken on the role of
an
By old men standing up to shake my
adult, he still has the feelings of a child.
hand

And tell me they were “sorry for my • Euphemism

trouble”, • Sense of secrecy
Whispers informed strangers I was the • Heaney attended a boarding school so had
eldest been absent for the actual event – guilt?
Away at school, as my mother held my
hand

In hers and coughed out angry tearless • Enjambment / Suggestion that she has
sighs. been
At ten o’clock the ambulance arrived crying for a while
• Idea of a long day / Ambulances usually
With the corpse, stanched and
help
bandaged by the nurse.
• Removes the sense of humanity from the
body – no longer his brother / Idea that they
tried to save him / ‘stanch’ to stop blood

Next morning I went up to the room. • No longer a bedroom, now a place of

Snowdrops mourning.
And candles soothed the bedside; I saw • Transferred epithet
him • Sense of guilt / Realisation that things
happen while you are away / Heaney has a
For the first time in six weeks. Paler
memory of his brother prior to this.
now,

Wearing a poppy bruise on his left • Seems unreal, as if it could be removed /

temple, Poppy signifies Remembrance.
He lay in the four foot box as in his cot. • Euphemism, does not mention a coffin /
Simile - cot, for a child, is a place of safety.
No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked
• He looks perfect / No sign of violence /
him clear.
Sudden death.

A four foot box, a foot for every year. • Signifies the brevity of the child’s life.

1. What is unusual about the title of this poem?

The title ‘Mid-Term Break’ suggests a holiday of sorts, a time of enjoyment; in reality the poem
deals with a time of grief and emotional upheaval.

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2.Looking at stanza one, how do you think the poet was feeling? Quote to support your
answer.
The poet is feeling isolated from his family: ‘I sat all morning in the college sick bay’ Also, he is
picked up by ‘neighbours’, furthering his isolation. He has had many hours to contemplate the
events that have occurred, ‘…all morning’ until ‘…two o’clock…’.
3.Why does the poet choose the word “knelling” when writing about the school bells?
Onomatopoeia, the sound of funeral bells.
4.What type of school did the poet attend? Give reasons for your answer.

He attended a boarding school. ‘I was the eldest, away at school…’

5.What did the poet find strange about his father’s behaviour?

His father is not his practical self, exhibiting emotion. Usually he took ‘funerals in his stride’,
suggesting that he was used to death.

6.Why is what “big Jim Evans” says an unfortunate pun?

As the child was killed literally by a hard blow, while the family are metaphorically hurt.

7.Why was the baby the lucky one that day?

The child is an innocent, oblivious to the events and grief which surround it.

8.Why was the poet embarrassed by the old men shaking his hand?

This is an adult means of communication, Heaney is (despite his persona) a child, unsure of
how to react to such formality.

9.What was surprising about his mother’s behaviour?

His mother seems incapable of crying and her grief manifests itself through anger.

10.Contrast the reactions of both parents. With whom, do you think, is the mother angry?

The roles of the parents seem to have been reversed with the father taking on the more
‘feminine’ emotional role. The mother could be angry with any number of people – the driver,
her husband (protector), her deceased child.

11.What is unusual about the poet’s use of the phrase “the corpse”? Answer fully.

The word ‘corpse’ suggests that Heaney seems detached. He does not see this body as being
that of his younger brother, rather he has dehumanised the body in an attempt to cope with his
grief.

12.How does this contrast with the language describing when he is alone with his brother’s
body?

When he is alone with the body (and, indeed, with his grief) Heaney recognises it to be his
brother. He calls the body ‘him’, admitting his emotional attachment
.
13. How does the atmosphere change in this section?

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In this section Heaney seems more at peace. The transferred epithet of “Snowdrops /
And candles soothed the bedside;” seem to provide him with some comfort. The room is a
place of peace and contrasts greatly with the busy scene that the young Heaney walked into.

14.Comment on the line “Wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple”.

The word ‘wearing’ suggests that this injury seems almost unreal, as if it could be removed at
any point. A poppy signifies remembrance and highlights the effect that this event has had on
Heaney’s life.

15.Comment on the simile in the third last line.

Likening the coffin to a cot, “He lay in the four foot box as in his cot.” symbolises how peaceful
and safe the child looked. He seemed at peace, as if sleeping. Still the death seems unreal.

16.Comment on the honesty of the last section compared to the embarrassment earlier in the
poem.

Heaney is able to be more honest in this section as he is alone. He is no longer required to be

‘strong’ for his distraught parents. He is allowed to be a child, away from the adults who were
treating him as if he were older. Prior to this, it almost seems like Heaney is the father-figure as
his own father is out with the family.

17.What do you think of the last line of the poem?

Poignant image. Gives the idea of the brevity of life. The use of ‘box’ rather than coffin again
suggests that Heaney is detached from the reality of what has happened.

18. Comment on the poet’s use of euphemism in the poem. What is the effect of this?
“sorry for my trouble”, is an example of a euphemism. It suggests that people are almost afraid
to mention the real truth. It seems almost clichéd and provides little comfort. Also, there is a
suggestion that ‘trouble’ will pass, yet this grief will always be there.
19.How does the young Heaney feel?

• Guilty: “I saw him / For the first time in six weeks. Paler now,” “Whispers informed
strangers I was the eldest / Away at school,”
• Isolated: “I sat all morning in the college sick bay” “At two o’clock our neighbours drove
me home.”
• Embarrassed: “I was embarrassed / By old men standing up to shake my hand”
• In denial: “Wearing a poppy bruise” “with the corpse”
• Confused: “In the porch I met my father crying –”
• Comforted: “Snowdrops / And candles soothed the bedside;”

Poetic Techniques
• Transferred Epithet: device of emphasis in which a characteristic of one thing is
attributed to another closely associated to it. The calm mood is beautifully shown in the
transferred epithet, “Snowdrops/And candles soothed the bedside” - literally they soothed the
young Heaney.

• Euphemism
The act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh,
blunt, or offensive

Critical Evaluation
• Poems often deal with emotional situations. Write about a poem with an emotional

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theme. Say what the poem is about and show how successful the author was in describing an
emotional time.

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.

Introduction
• Your introduction must include:
• Title
• Author
• Genre
• Link to Question
• Short Summary

Sample Introduction
• A poem that deals with emotional themes is ‘Mid-Term Break’ written by Irish poet,
Seamus Heaney. The poem describes the aftermath of 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. The poem
successfully conveys Heaney’s sense of grief through various poetic techniques such as
metaphor, simile and alliteration.
Paragraph Planning
• Every internal paragraph (not introduction and conclusion) must contain:
• Point
• Context
• Quotation
• Evaluation

How does Heaney convey the grief felt?

1. His own sense of isolation
2. The reactions of his parents
3. His feelings of embarrassment
4. The description of the body
5. His time spent with the body
6. His description of the coffin

Writing Topic Sentences (Point)

• The first part of your paragraph should be your topic sentence or point.
• This should tell the reader exactly what this paragraph will be about.
• It should be one short, concise sentence
.
Writing Topic Sentences (Point)
• Every paragraph MUST begin with a topic sentence.
• A topic sentence advises the marker of which topic will be covered in the paragraph.
• A topic sentence has to do two jobs:
 it must refer to the question
 it must state what topic is being covered in the paragraph.
• Look again at your essay question.
• What exactly are you being asked to do?
• What information must you include in each topic sentence?
• 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

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 describing an emotional time.

Writing Topic Sentences (Point)

• His own sense of isolation
• it must refer to the question
• it must state what topic is being covered in the paragraph.
• 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.

Sample Topic Sentences:

• Heaney’s shows his isolation throughout the poem by conveying his grief.
• Heaney’s sense of isolation highlights to the reader how grief has affected the young
boy.
• The poet’s isolation throughout the poem suggests that death has forced Heaney to
become separated from his family.
• Heaney’s description of his isolation suggests to the reader that grief is a personal
emotion.

Context
• The paragraph should contain information about what is happening in the poem when
these events occur.
• This is the context.

Quotation
• Each paragraph must contain a quotation.
• A quotation must be written in your essay exactly as it is written in the text (line by line).
• A quotation must always be put inside quotation marks.

Evaluation
• After you have written your quotation you must explain how the quotation helps you to
answer the question.
• Does the poet use any poetic techniques?
• Do you think he is effective is getting his point across?
• How does this analysis help you to answer the question?
• This is the evaluation of the quotation.Your analysis must be detailed and specific.
• Do not write ‘This shows…’.
• Identify the specific word(s) and the technique(s) utilised by the poet.

Conclusion
• Your conclusion must include:
• Title
• Author
• Genre
• Link to Question
• Your personal opinion on the poem.

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