mid term break poetry essay pdf

Mid-Term Break Summary & Analysis by Seamus Heaney

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

“Mid-Term Break” was published by Irish poet Seamus Heaney in his 1966 book Death of a Naturalist. The poem is about Heaney’s brother, who was killed by a car in 1953 when he was only 4 years old, and Heaney only 14. Personal and direct, the poem describes the unexpected ways his family’s grieves as they confront this tragedy. It also notes the way that grief may upset traditional social roles.

• Read the full text of “Mid-Term Break”

The Full Text of “Mid-Term Break”

“mid-term break” summary, “mid-term break” themes.

The Nature of Grief

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “mid-term break”.

I sat all ... ... drove me home.

In the porch ... ... a hard blow.

The baby cooed ... ... for my trouble'.

Lines 11-13

Whispers informed strangers ... ... angry tearless sighs.

Lines 14-15

At ten o'clock ... ... by the nurses.

Lines 16-18

Next morning I ... ... in six weeks.

Lines 18-22

Paler now, ... ... for every year.

“Mid-Term Break” Symbols

• Line 2: “bells”

• Line 16: “Snowdrops”

• Line 17: “candles”

“Mid-Term Break” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

End-stopped line.

• Line 2: “close.”
• Line 3: “home.”
• Line 4: “crying—”
• Line 5: “stride—”
• Line 6: “blow.”
• Line 10: “trouble'.”
• Line 11: “eldest,”
• Line 13: “sighs.”
• Line 15: “nurses.”
• Line 18: “now,”
• Line 19: “temple,”
• Line 20: “cot.”
• Line 21: “clear.”
• Line 22: “year.”
• Lines 1-2: “bay / Counting”
• Lines 7-8: “pram / When”
• Lines 8-9: “embarrassed / By”
• Lines 9-10: “hand / And”
• Lines 12-13: “hand / In”
• Lines 14-15: “arrived / With”
• Lines 16-17: “Snowdrops / And”
• Lines 17-18: “him / For”
• Line 8: “in, and”
• Line 12: “school, as”
• Line 15: “corpse, stanched”
• Line 16: “room. Snowdrops”
• Line 17: “bedside; I”
• Line 18: “weeks. Paler”
• Line 21: “scars, the”
• Line 22: “box, a”

Alliteration

• Line 1: “c,” “b”
• Line 2: “C,” “b,” “c,” “l,” “c,” “l”
• Line 3: “cl”
• Line 4: “m,” “m”
• Line 5: “H,” “h”
• Line 12: “A,” “a,” “a,” “m,” “m,” “h,” “m,” “h”
• Line 13: “h,” “a”
• Line 14: “A,” “a,” “a”
• Line 15: “b,” “b”
• Line 16: “S”
• Line 17: “s,” “s”
• Line 18: “F,” “f,” “s,” “P”
• Line 19: “p,” “b,” “h,” “l”
• Line 20: “H,” “l,” “f,” “f”
• Line 22: “f,” “f,” “f,” “f”
• Line 2: “e,” “e,” “o”
• Line 3: “o,” “o,” “o”
• Line 4: “I,” “y,” “y”
• Line 5: “a,” “a,” “i,” “i”
• Line 6: “i,” “i,” “i,” “i,” “a,” “a”
• Line 7: “a,” “au,” “a,” “a”
• Line 8: “I,” “a,” “I,” “a”
• Line 9: “a,” “a”
• Line 11: “i,” “i”
• Line 12: “a,” “a,” “a”
• Line 13: “a,” “a,” “i”
• Line 14: “A,” “a,” “i”
• Line 15: “a,” “a,” “a”
• Line 16: “o,” “oo”
• Line 17: “A,” “a,” “oo,” “i,” “I”
• Line 18: “i,” “i”
• Line 19: “o,” “o,” “e,” “e”
• Line 20: “o,” “i,” “i,” “o”
• Line 21: “au,” “o”
• Line 22: “ou,” “oo,” “oo,” “o,” “y,” “ea”
• Line 1: “s,” “ll,” “n,” “n,” “c,” “ll,” “s,” “ck,” “b”
• Line 2: “C,” “n,” “b,” “ll,” “s,” “kn,” “ll,” “cl,” “ss,” “s,” “cl,” “s”
• Line 3: “t,” “t,” “cl,” “r,” “r,” “r,” “m,” “m”
• Line 4: “m,” “m,” “th,” “r,” “r”
• Line 5: “H,” “h,” “n,” “n,” “r,” “n,” “h,” “s,” “r,” “d”
• Line 6: “d,” “b,” “w”
• Line 7: “b,” “b,” “c,” “d,” “nd,” “d,” “nd,” “r,” “ck,” “d,” “r,” “m”
• Line 8: “c,” “m,” “n,” “n,” “m”
• Line 9: “d,” “m,” “n,” “nd,” “m,” “nd”
• Line 10: “t,” “rr,” “t,” “r”
• Line 11: “rs,” “r,” “s,” “t,” “r,” “rs,” “s,” “s,” “t”
• Line 12: “m,” “m,” “h,” “d,” “m,” “h,” “d”
• Line 13: “h,” “r,” “s,” “t,” “r,” “t,” “r,” “ss,” “s,” “s”
• Line 14: “t,” “t,” “rr”
• Line 15: “r,” “s,” “s,” “n,” “d,” “nd,” “b,” “nd,” “d,” “b”
• Line 16: “S,” “d,” “s”
• Line 17: “nd,” “nd,” “s,” “s,” “d,” “e,” “s,” “d,” “s”
• Line 18: “F,” “r,” “f,” “r,” “st,” “t,” “s,” “x,” “s,” “P”
• Line 19: “p,” “pp,” “l,” “t,” “p,” “l”
• Line 20: “l,” “f,” “r,” “f,” “b,” “x,” “c”
• Line 21: “c,” “r,” “m,” “r,” “ck,” “m,” “c”
• Line 22: “f,” “r,” “f,” “t,” “f,” “t,” “f,” “r,” “r,” “y,” “y,” “r”
• Line 20: “He lay in the four-foot box as in his cot.”
• Line 19: “Wearing a poppy bruise”

Polysyndeton

• Line 7: “The baby cooed and laughed and rocked the pram”
• Line 20: “four-foot box”
• Line 22: “A four-foot box, a foot for every year.”

“Mid-Term Break” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• In His Stride
• Four-foot box
• (Location in poem: Line 1: “college”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Mid-Term Break”

Rhyme scheme, “mid-term break” speaker, “mid-term break” setting, literary and historical context of “mid-term break”, more “mid-term break” resources, external resources.

Seamus Heaney's 10 Best Poems — A list of Heaney's 10 Best Poems from the Telegraph—offering a good introduction to his broader work.

Heaney Restrospective — A critical appraisal of the poet's life and work, from Naomi Schalit.

Seamus Heaney's Life — A detailed biography from the Poetry Foundation.

Seamus Heaney Reads "Mid-Term Break" — The poet reads his own poem aloud for the Poetry Ireland Lunchtime Reading Series.

Heaney's Family on Life with the Poet — In an article for the Guardian Newspaper, Seamus Heaney's family reflect on life with Heaney.

LitCharts on Other Poems by Seamus Heaney

Blackberry-Picking

Death of a Naturalist

Out of the Bag

Personal Helicon

Requiem for the Croppies

Storm on the Island

The Tollund Man

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

Lit. Summaries

• Biographies

Exploring Seamus Heaney’s Mid-Term Break: A Literary Analysis

• Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney’s poem “Mid-Term Break” is a poignant reflection on the death of a young child. The poem explores themes of grief, loss, and the fragility of life. In this literary analysis, we will delve deeper into the poem’s language, structure, and imagery to understand how Heaney effectively conveys these themes and emotions to his readers.

The Poet: Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney is one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century. Born in Northern Ireland in 1939, Heaney grew up in a rural farming community and was deeply influenced by the landscape and people of his homeland. Heaney’s poetry often explores themes of identity, memory, and the natural world, and his work has been praised for its lyrical beauty and emotional depth. Heaney was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995, and his legacy continues to inspire and influence writers around the world. In this article, we will explore one of Heaney’s most famous poems, “Mid-Term Break,” and analyze its themes, imagery, and language.

The Poem: Mid-Term Break

Seamus Heaney’s “Mid-Term Break” is a poignant and emotional poem that explores the themes of death, loss, and grief. The poem is written in the first person, and the speaker is a young boy who has returned home from school to attend the funeral of his younger brother. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each of which explores a different aspect of the speaker’s experience. The first stanza describes the speaker’s journey home from school, while the second stanza focuses on the scene at the family home, where the speaker encounters his grieving parents and sees his brother’s body laid out in the room. The final stanza describes the funeral itself, and the speaker’s feelings of isolation and detachment from the other mourners. Throughout the poem, Heaney uses vivid imagery and powerful language to convey the speaker’s emotions and the sense of loss that permeates the poem. Overall, “Mid-Term Break” is a powerful and moving poem that explores the universal themes of death and grief in a deeply personal and affecting way.

The Theme: Death and Loss

Seamus Heaney’s “Mid-Term Break” is a poignant poem that explores the theme of death and loss. The poem is based on the death of Heaney’s younger brother, Christopher, who died at the age of four. Heaney’s use of vivid imagery and powerful language creates a sense of sadness and grief that is palpable throughout the poem. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each of which explores a different aspect of death and loss. The first stanza describes the arrival of Heaney’s family members at the family home, where they are waiting for the arrival of the body. The second stanza describes Heaney’s encounter with his brother’s body in the coffin, and the third stanza describes the funeral and the aftermath of the death. Through his use of language and imagery, Heaney captures the sense of loss and grief that accompanies death, and he explores the ways in which people cope with the loss of a loved one. Overall, “Mid-Term Break” is a powerful and moving poem that offers a poignant reflection on the theme of death and loss.

The Tone: Grief and Sadness

The tone of Seamus Heaney’s “Mid-Term Break” is one of grief and sadness. The poem is a reflection on the death of the speaker’s younger brother, and the emotions that come with such a loss are palpable throughout the piece. Heaney’s use of language and imagery creates a sense of heaviness and sorrow, as the speaker navigates the aftermath of the tragedy. The poem is a powerful exploration of grief, and the ways in which it can impact a person’s life.

The Structure: Free Verse

Seamus Heaney’s “Mid-Term Break” is a poem written in free verse, which means that it does not follow a specific rhyme scheme or meter. Instead, the poem is structured through the use of enjambment, or the continuation of a sentence or phrase across multiple lines. This creates a sense of fluidity and naturalness in the poem, as if the words are flowing freely from the speaker’s thoughts and emotions. Additionally, the lack of a strict structure allows Heaney to experiment with the placement of words and phrases, emphasizing certain ideas or emotions through their placement on the page. Overall, the free verse structure of “Mid-Term Break” contributes to the poem’s emotional impact and allows Heaney to convey his grief and loss in a powerful and poignant way.

The Imagery: Visual and Sensory

Seamus Heaney’s “Mid-Term Break” is a poem that is rich in visual and sensory imagery. The poet uses vivid descriptions to create a powerful and emotional impact on the reader. The imagery in the poem is not only visual but also sensory, as it appeals to the reader’s sense of touch, smell, and sound.

One of the most striking images in the poem is the description of the “poppy bruise” on the baby’s forehead. This image is not only visual but also tactile, as the reader can almost feel the softness of the baby’s skin and the tenderness of the bruise. The use of the word “poppy” also adds a sensory dimension to the image, as it evokes the smell and texture of the flower.

Another powerful image in the poem is the description of the “four foot box” that the speaker’s brother is laid in. This image is both visual and sensory, as the reader can imagine the size and shape of the box, as well as the weight and texture of the body inside. The use of the word “box” also adds a sense of confinement and finality to the image, emphasizing the finality of death.

Overall, the imagery in “Mid-Term Break” is a key element in creating the emotional impact of the poem. The visual and sensory descriptions help to bring the reader into the world of the poem and to experience the grief and loss of the speaker.

The Language: Symbolism and Metaphor

In Seamus Heaney’s “Mid-Term Break,” the language used is rich in symbolism and metaphor, adding depth and complexity to the poem’s themes. The title itself is a metaphor, referring to the break from school that the speaker is experiencing, but also hinting at the idea of a break in the speaker’s life. The use of the word “break” suggests something that is shattered or broken, which foreshadows the devastating news that the speaker receives later in the poem.

Throughout the poem, Heaney uses vivid imagery to convey the speaker’s emotions and experiences. For example, the image of the “poppy bruise” on the baby’s forehead is a powerful symbol of the fragility of life and the violence that can disrupt it. The use of the word “bruise” suggests something that is painful and temporary, but also hints at the idea of something that is damaged or broken.

Another important symbol in the poem is the image of the “snowdrops” that the speaker’s mother has arranged on the baby’s cot. Snowdrops are often associated with death and mourning, and their presence in the poem adds to the sense of sadness and loss that permeates the speaker’s experience.

Overall, the language in “Mid-Term Break” is carefully crafted to convey the complex emotions and themes of the poem. Through the use of symbolism and metaphor, Heaney creates a powerful and moving portrait of grief and loss.

The Setting: A Family Home

The setting of Seamus Heaney’s “Mid-Term Break” is a family home, specifically the home of the narrator’s parents. The poem begins with the narrator being brought home from school by his neighbors, and he enters the house to find his father crying. The details of the home are sparse, but the emotions and actions of the family members within it are vividly portrayed. The home becomes a symbol of the family’s grief and the disruption of their normal routine. The setting of the family home is crucial to the poem’s exploration of loss and mourning, as it is the place where the narrator must confront the reality of his brother’s death.

The Characters: The Family Members

The family members in Seamus Heaney’s “Mid-Term Break” play a crucial role in the poem’s emotional impact. The speaker’s parents are described as being “stricken” and “embarrassed” by the death of their son, while his younger brothers are “crying” and “sniffling” in the background. The speaker himself is detached and numb, unable to fully process the tragedy that has befallen his family. Through their reactions and interactions, Heaney paints a vivid portrait of a family in mourning, struggling to come to terms with their loss.

The Emotions: Shock and Disbelief

The emotions of shock and disbelief are prevalent throughout Seamus Heaney’s poem “Mid-Term Break.” The speaker, who is a young boy, is forced to confront the death of his younger brother. The poem begins with the speaker being taken out of school and brought home, where he is met with the sight of his brother’s body. The shock of this event is evident in the speaker’s inability to comprehend what has happened. He describes his brother’s body as “a poppy bruise” and notes that he “lay in the four-foot box as in his cot.” The use of the word “cot” suggests that the speaker is struggling to accept that his brother is truly gone. The disbelief is further emphasized when the speaker notes that his father is crying, which is something he has never seen before. The shock and disbelief that the speaker experiences are universal emotions that anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one can relate to. Heaney’s use of language and imagery effectively conveys the overwhelming emotions that come with such a tragic event.

The Impact: Cultural and Historical Context

Seamus Heaney’s poem “Mid-Term Break” is a poignant reflection on the death of his younger brother. The poem is set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, a period of political and social unrest that lasted from the late 1960s to the late 1990s. Heaney’s work is deeply rooted in the cultural and historical context of Northern Ireland, and his poetry often explores the themes of violence, loss, and identity in the face of conflict.

Heaney was born in 1939 in County Derry, Northern Ireland, and grew up in a rural farming community. He was deeply influenced by the landscape and language of his childhood, and his poetry often reflects his connection to the natural world. However, Heaney’s work is also shaped by the political and social context of Northern Ireland, particularly the Troubles.

The Troubles were a period of intense violence and political conflict in Northern Ireland, characterized by bombings, shootings, and other acts of terrorism. The conflict was rooted in the division between the Protestant and Catholic communities in Northern Ireland, and it had a profound impact on the lives of those who lived through it. Heaney’s poetry often reflects the trauma and loss experienced by individuals and communities during this period.

In “Mid-Term Break,” Heaney explores the impact of his brother’s death on his family and community. The poem is a powerful reflection on grief, loss, and the fragility of life. Heaney’s use of language and imagery is both subtle and powerful, and the poem has become one of his most famous works.

Overall, Heaney’s poetry is deeply rooted in the cultural and historical context of Northern Ireland. His work explores the themes of violence, loss, and identity in the face of conflict, and it has had a profound impact on the literary world. “Mid-Term Break” is a powerful reflection on grief and loss, and it remains a testament to the enduring power of poetry to capture the human experience.

The Literary Devices: Alliteration and Enjambment

Alliteration and enjambment are two literary devices that Seamus Heaney employs in his poem “Mid-Term Break” to create a sense of rhythm and flow. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words, while enjambment is the continuation of a sentence or phrase onto the next line without a pause. In the first stanza, Heaney uses alliteration to emphasize the silence and stillness of the room: “I sat all morning in the college sick bay / Counting bells knelling classes to a close.” The repetition of the “s” sound in “sat,” “sick,” and “classes” creates a sense of hushed quietness. Heaney also uses enjambment throughout the poem to create a sense of movement and progression. For example, in the second stanza, the sentence “At ten o’clock the ambulance arrived” continues onto the next line, emphasizing the suddenness and urgency of the situation. These literary devices not only add to the overall effect of the poem, but also showcase Heaney’s skill as a poet.

The Poetic Techniques: Repetition and Irony

Repetition and irony are two of the most prominent poetic techniques used by Seamus Heaney in his poem “Mid-Term Break.” Repetition is used to emphasize the emotional impact of the events that take place in the poem. For example, the repetition of the word “knelling” in the first stanza creates a sense of foreboding and sets the tone for the rest of the poem. Similarly, the repetition of the phrase “a four foot box” in the final stanza emphasizes the finality of death and the sense of loss that the speaker feels.

Irony is also used throughout the poem to create a sense of tension and to highlight the contrast between the speaker’s emotions and the actions of those around him. For example, the fact that the speaker’s father is “crying” and “whispering” in the second stanza is ironic because it is not the speaker’s father who has died, but rather his younger brother. Similarly, the fact that the “old men” in the fourth stanza shake the speaker’s hand and tell him that they are “sorry for his trouble” is ironic because they do not truly understand the depth of his grief.

Overall, the use of repetition and irony in “Mid-Term Break” serves to enhance the emotional impact of the poem and to highlight the complex emotions that the speaker experiences in the wake of his brother’s death.

The Analysis: Line by Line

The opening line of Seamus Heaney’s “Mid-Term Break” sets the tone for the entire poem: “I sat all morning in the college sick bay.” The use of the word “sick bay” immediately creates a sense of unease and suggests that something is not quite right. The fact that the speaker has been there all morning also implies that this is not a minor illness or injury. As the poem progresses, we learn that the speaker’s younger brother has died, and the use of the word “sick bay” takes on a new meaning. It becomes a place of waiting and mourning, a liminal space between life and death. The line also establishes the speaker’s detachment from the events that are about to unfold. He is physically present, but emotionally removed, a theme that is echoed throughout the poem.

The Interpretation: Multiple Meanings

One of the most intriguing aspects of Seamus Heaney’s “Mid-Term Break” is its ability to be interpreted in multiple ways. On the surface, the poem appears to be a straightforward account of a young boy’s experience of his brother’s death. However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that there are deeper layers of meaning at play. Some readers interpret the poem as a commentary on the fragility of life, while others see it as a meditation on the complexities of grief. Still others view it as a critique of societal expectations surrounding death and mourning. Ultimately, the beauty of “Mid-Term Break” lies in its ability to speak to readers on a variety of levels, inviting us to engage with its themes and ideas in our own unique ways.

The Significance: Heaney’s Legacy

Seamus Heaney’s legacy is one that continues to inspire and influence writers and readers alike. His ability to capture the essence of Irish culture and history through his poetry has earned him a place among the greatest poets of the 20th century. Heaney’s work is characterized by its vivid imagery, lyrical language, and deep sense of humanity. His poems often explore themes of identity, memory, and the natural world, and his unique perspective on these subjects has made him a beloved figure in the literary world. Heaney’s legacy is one that will continue to be celebrated for generations to come, as his poetry remains a testament to the power of language and the enduring human spirit.

The Criticism: Alternative Perspectives

While Seamus Heaney’s “Mid-Term Break” has been widely praised for its poignant portrayal of grief and loss, there are also alternative perspectives that offer criticism of the poem. One such perspective is that the poem is too detached and emotionless, failing to fully capture the depth of the speaker’s feelings. Critics argue that the poem’s sparse language and lack of overt emotionality create a distance between the reader and the speaker, making it difficult to fully empathize with the speaker’s experience.

Another criticism of the poem is that it perpetuates traditional gender roles and stereotypes. The poem’s portrayal of the mother as a stoic figure who is unable to express her emotions is seen by some as a reinforcement of the idea that women are expected to be passive and emotionally restrained. Additionally, the poem’s focus on the father’s reaction to the death of his son, while largely ignoring the mother’s grief, has been criticized as a perpetuation of the idea that men are expected to be strong and unemotional in the face of tragedy.

Despite these criticisms, “Mid-Term Break” remains a powerful and widely studied poem, offering a complex and nuanced exploration of grief and loss. While some may find fault with the poem’s emotional distance or gendered portrayals, others may see these elements as integral to the poem’s larger themes and messages. Ultimately, the poem’s enduring popularity and critical acclaim speak to its ability to provoke thought and inspire discussion, even in the face of alternative perspectives and criticisms.

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Mid-Term Break

Seamus Heaney shares with us a sad memory from his childhood.

“… the most skilful and profound poet writing in English today.” Edward Mendelson (NYT Review of Opened Ground)

Seamus Heaney is one of  the most recognisable names in English-language poetry . It’s quite possible that you could hear his writerly voice as a child, study him as you get older (his poems are often anthologised or selected for GCSE and A Level study) and come to regard him as an old familiar friend through your adult life. Heaney won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995 and turned down the position of Poet Laureate when it was offered to him,  possibly because he regards himself as Irish, not British : after lunching with the Queen he said, “I have nothing against the Queen personally”; but in 1982 he published the lines, “My passport’s green/ No glass of ours was ever raised/ To toast the Queen.” Before  his death in 2013 he wrote about Irish community life, people’s connection with the land ( Storm on the Island; Bogland ), politics and history (particularly The Troubles), his own rural upbringing and journey to becoming a writer ( Follower; Digging; Personal Helicon ). A recognisable Heaney trait is filtering subject matter through a child’s looking-glass lens. His most famous poems ( Death of a Naturalist  and  Blackberry Picking) are directly concerned with childhood, in particular the loss of childhood innocence as one grows older.  Mid-Term Break (from the collection  Death of a Naturalist , written in 1966) shares this theme, which it explores through recounting an experience from the poet’s own history; when Seamus Heaney was still a child, his younger brother Christopher was hit and killed by a car:

On first reading, apart from obviously being written in stanzaic form (which we’ll get to later) the poem is actually quite, well… unpoetic! In some respects, it’s more like a narrative in the way it tells the story of Heaney’s discovery of his brother’s death. The poem contains clear narrative features such as the building of suspense (see how the poem counts down time for us:  two o’clock, ten o’clock, next morning ), direct speech (‘sorry for my trouble’ ) and even brief  characterisation : I met my father crying – he had always taken funerals in his stride –  In a way,  Mid-Term Break is a narrative: it follows a well-worn narrative pattern called the ‘rites of passage’ by which a young person must leave the safety (and ignorance) of childhood and undergo a journey of discovery. Along the way, the child acquires special knowledge and undergoes a transformation, shedding the childish self like a snake sheds a skin and emerging as a new, older and wiser person. That’s why the poem begins in the  college sick bay , which represents the safe world of a child; soon the boy is taken home , where he must pass through various adult hands, all ushering him towards the place where he will discover the truth hiding at the heart of the poem. The  room in which he encounters his brother – and has his first experience of the reality of death – is the place where this awful knowledge is contained and it is no accident that he is left alone to experience his first taste of the adult world all by himself.

At the start of the story, though, the boy is unaware of what lies in store; both he and we, the readers, wonder what is happening to take him out of class and home from school early. There are a couple of clues:  knelling is a word used only to describe the sound of a bell; it is especially associated with bells that ring to proclaim somebody’s death. In a ‘rites of passage’ story, in order for a person to grow and change their childish self must symbolically die. As well as  foreshadowing  the death of the speaker’s younger brother, the bells he hears  c ounting down  c lasses to a  c lose also signify the death of his childhood and induction into the adult world.  Alliteration  plays a part here. Look at all those hard C sounds in the line above, and add  c ollege si ck bay and  two o’ c lo ck .  This kind of alliteration is known as guttural. Guttural is good at exposing negative emotions, and also resembles the ticking of a clock, counting down the time until the boy must experience the truth that is waiting for him.

When the boy arrives home he meets his father standing on the  porch . Here is an example of a ‘threshold’: a boundary between two ‘worlds.’ If the school represented a ‘safe’ place where he was sheltered and protected from hard truth, his house is the site of his revelation and the place where he will be exposed to the truth about how things are in the ‘real’ world. The  porch is the dividing line between these two ‘worlds.’ His father (and  Big Jim Evans ) function as symbolic gatekeepers. They know the truth, but do not reveal it to the boy, except through cryptic clues such as  it had been a hard blow, language that suggests concealed emotion and also echoes the accident that killed his younger brother. Instead they usher him inside, where he will be passed from hand to hand, until he reaches his brother’s bedside . At this point, he will be by himself and have to face the reality of the world alone. 

Just as in a good narrative,  perspective is a crucial reason why the poem works so well. The speaker’s youth and naïvete brings a touch of  irony into the poem. Each stanza gives more little clues, information hiding in plain sight, that the boy’s youth prevents him from fully understanding. But as readers looking in from outside, it’s relatively easy for us to piece together the puzzle at the heart of the story. The first puzzle-piece is probably the word knelling  in stanza 1. It’s the kind of word a young boy wouldn’t know (the adult writer uses it as he looks back on his childhood experience). In stanza 2 – embedded inside two  hyphens  as an extra detail – is the admission that the speaker’s father  had always taken funerals in his stride . In the third stanza old men stand up in formal way to  shake my hand , and in the fourth we can infer from the  whispers that  informed strangers I was the eldest  that something has happened to a member of the boy’s family. By the time the  ambulance arrived with the corpse most readers will be prepared for the awful knowledge of the boy’s younger brother’s tragic accident. 

Written about a childhood time when nothing in the adult world makes sense (you can almost hear the boy thinking, ‘Why are they whispering? Why are these old men standing up to shake my hand?’) the  voice of the speaker conveys Heaney’s thoughts and curiously detached feelings through this bewildering day. Interestingly, most of the  diction in the poem is cool, calm and collected, and the young speaker comes across as matter-of-fact above anything else. Read the poem again to try and find examples of emotive language – it’s tough, right? That’s not to say the poem isn’t emotional, but emotion comes more from the reader’s grasping of the situation than from the poem itself. The boy himself reports everything with simplicity:  stanched and bandaged is quite clinical;  I saw him for the first time in six weeks a simple matter-of-fact statement. The clinical, detached  tone aptly conveys the way a young boy might approach his first encounter with death. Too young to really grasp the significance of events, he reacts in a way that might even be construed as indifferent. 

Something the poem explores wonderfully well is the stoic, masculine way that men deal with their emotions, particularly grief. The speaker’s father had been crying, but the poem is quick to point out that normally he takes things in their stride.  Big Jim Evans is unable to use straightforward language when talking to the young boy and euphemises his feelings as  a hard blow .  Euphemism is language that is uses to disguise, or avoid, speaking hard truths and it’s again ironic that somebody  big, when faced with a harsh reality, finds it difficult to confront.  Old men stand up to shake my hand reveals how formality and custom are used (again by men) to manage difficult emotions. Whispers is an onomatopoeia that conjures the sound of people talking around him, even behind his back, but hesitant when it comes to admitting the truth. The mother, true to type, is permitted to cough out her angry tearless sighs . She has been exhausted by her outpouring of emotion: by contrast, the men keep theirs firmly shut away inside. A detail that throws the men’s stoicism into sharp relief is the mention of the baby who cooed and laughed in the pram. The contrast of such unknowing, innocent behaviour with the reserved and awkward behaviour of the adults only reinforces the formality of their actions.

According to the poetic tradition of the  turn , or  volta , at a certain point in a poem the focus shifts, the tone changes or a counterpoint is presented.  Mid-Term Break’s turn is disguised by form, hidden inside the fifth stanza. After the description of mother’s  sighs  our attention is taken away from the reactions of those gathered in the house and placed onto the ambulance, there to deliver the body of the speaker’s younger brother.  At ten o’clock is the subtle marker used to make this change. After this point, the poem homes in on the boy’s experience only and we are with him through the terrible walk up the stairs, into the room where his brother’s body is laid in state  stanched (like the more common ‘staunch,’ this word means to restrict the flow of blood; you can read it to mean ‘cleaned’)  and bandaged by nurses .  Assonance plays a part in this stanza: the letter A flows through the lines in all kinds of words such as a ngry , a mbul a nce a rrived , st a nched a nd b a nd a ged . Assonance helps manage the tension in the poem at this crucial moment – the boy is only steps away from entering the room himself and coming face to face with his brother after his awful accident.

Once he enters the site of revelation, the poem intensifies its use of imagery.  The evidence of his brother’s wound is described as a poppy bruise , the vivid red colour that flashes into our minds when we read poppy contrasts with the white images suggested by paler now ,   stanched and bandaged and  snowdrops (white flowers)  and candles soothed the bedside . Like the  knelling bells , this use of language comes from the older writer looking back on his childish persona. Look again at the word ‘soothed.’ Flowers and candles are  personified to have a calming effect on the scene, and we are invited to compare the ritual trappings of funerals with the formality of behaviour displayed by the men earlier in the poem. The votive candles have a particularly calming effect, bathing the scene in warmth despite the ‘cold’ setting and tone. Perhaps Heaney wants us to think that the objects in the room, the ritual ‘embalming’ of the corpse – like the words and behaviour of the people downstairs – are all bent to the same purpose: the dulling of grief in order to allow men to cope with, and display stoicism in the face of, this ‘unmanly’ emotion.

The importance of ritual is echoed in the poem’s form.  Heaney is a traditional poet, and his poetry gestures towards pre-modern times .  Mid-Term Break is written in unrhymed  tercets  (a tercet is a group of three lines) and Heaney employs  stanzaic form to echo both the rituals surrounding death and funerals, and to frame the procession by which the boy is brought from his school to the bedside. Try breaking the journey into stages, imagining him passing various thresholds along the way: he leaves the  college sick bay , passes through the  porch into the main house, and goes up to  the room . Each stanza narrows and focuses the boy’s journey until he reaches the  bedside , at which point the poem is at its most intimate: just the boy, his brother and us watching from the outside. The  repetition of  hands is a nice detail helping us to see that he is quite literally passed from hand-to-hand by various adults. He is taken by his neighbour, to his father, through a roomful of relatives and strangers (who  shake his hand ) to his mother (who  held my hand ). Finally, he visits the bedside where he is alone. The structure of this journey is like a mini ‘rites of passage’ story, taking a child from a safe, protected world and exposing him to the truth and danger of the adult world.   

Suggested Poems for Comparison

• Death of a Naturalist by Seamus Heaney

If you liked Mid-Term Break , you’ll love Death of a Naturalist . The title poem from his 1966 collection (from which Mid-Term Break is taken), the poem’s speaker – Heaney as a child – witnesses an invasion of angry frogs who he describes as ‘the great slime kings.’

• Hide and Seek by Vernon Scannell

If you’ve ever played this childhood game, you might recognise what happens to the small boy in this poem – abandoned in the dark by those he thought were his friends. It’s a little taste of how things really work out in the real world, represented by the eerie way the empty garden seems to look back at him at the end of the poem.

• Little Red Cap by Carol Ann Duffy

It’s not only boys who go on rites of passage adventures. In this reworking of the classic fairytale ( Little Red Riding Hood ), Duffy imagines herself as the titular heroine, a person with whom it is not wise to mess!

Additional Resources

If you are teaching or studying  Mid-Term Break  at school or college, or if you simply enjoyed this analysis of the poem and would like to discover more, you might like to purchase our bespoke study bundle for this poem. It’s only £2 and includes: 

• 4 pages of activities that can be printed and folded into a booklet for use in class, at home, for self-study or revision.
• Study Questions with guidance for how to answer in full paragraphs.
• A sample Point, Evidence, Explanation paragraph for essay writing. 
• An interactive and editable powerpoint, giving line-by-line analysis of all the poetic and technical features of the poem. 
• An in-depth worksheet with a focus on   explaining stanzaic form .
• A fun crossword-quiz, perfect for a recap lesson or for revision.
• 4 practice Essay Questions – and one complete model Essay Plan.

And… discuss! 

What did you think of Seamus Heaney’s poem? Have you read any of his other works that you could recommend to people who enjoyed Mid-Term Break? How did you feel at the end of this poem – was the revelation a shock to you? Why not leave a comment, start a discussion or share your ideas in the comment section below. And, for daily nuggets of analysis and all-new illustrations, don’t forget to find and follow Poetry Prof on Instagram.

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"Mid-Term Break": A Poetic Reflection on Loss and Grief

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Mid-Term Break

By seamus heaney, mid-term break essay questions.

Discuss the significance of the "college sick bay."

The speaker's sojourn in his school's infirmary, as he waits to be picked up for his brother's wake, foreshadows the poem's upcoming events. The setting hints at death, illness, and dying. At the same time, it offers a glimpse at a medicalized, institutional world of death that—like the ambulance that later appears to deliver the brother's body—contrasts with the traditional domesticity of the wake. Meanwhile, the speaker's explanation that he has spent his day in the sick bay, counting tolling bells, indicates that he is alone and without any comfort at school. Again, this cold, institutional setting contrasts sharply with the overwhelmingly social ambiance he encounters at home.

Discuss the form and stanza length of "Mid-Term Break."

The stanza length and variation of "Mid-Term Break" reflect the speaker's emotional state of shock and distress, as well as his effort to tamp down his expressions of those emotions. The steady rhythm of tercets creates a sense of control, which, alongside the speaker's understated language, displays his attempts to manage or even deny the brutal reality of his brother's death. However, as the speaker notes the small size of his brother's coffin, and considers his young age, the tercet structure falls away: the poem's last line is in a stanza of its own. This breakdown of structure reflects a breakdown of control and of speech, echoing a grief that persists beyond verbal description.

Mid-Term Break Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Mid-Term Break is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Contrast the readers reaction of the two parents

Are you referring to the book Mid-Term Break?

Why was the boy embarrassed?

From the text:

I was embarrassed because the old men who'd come over to the house kept standing up to shake my hand.

What does the child learn in the poem?

I think the child learns a few things. He discovers the impermanence of life: his young brother tragically killed by a car. He also discovers how mourning is handled in different ways. Heaney’s poem is a portrait of the reality that there is no “...

Study Guide for Mid-Term Break

Mid-Term Break study guide contains a biography of Seamus Heaney, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Mid-Term Break
• Mid-Term Break Summary
• Character List