How Do You Respond To Mid-Term Break? What techniques does Heaney use? :: English Literature

How Do You Respond To Mid-Term Break? What proficiencys does Heaney use? Having read the title Mid-Term Break, I assumed that the poemHaving read the title Mid-Term Break, I assumed that the poem wasabout a students holiday abroad or something similar, however as Iprogressed through reading the play, I realized that it had adifferent meaning. The poem has a very deceiving title, a mid-termbreak is conjectural to be a joyous time of holiday but here Heaney mustdeal with the death of a family member. This misleading title is thefirst technique used by Heaney to attract the attention of thereader. The poem is also told in first person and this gives theeffect that the emotions come straight from the boy to the reader. Werespond right off to the boy, which provokes greater sympathy in uswhen we find out that his brother dies.The first stanza is telling us that the boy is away from home,isolated, upset and waiting. It is made up of short sentences to buildup tension and create shock as though the reader is expectingsomething to happen. One phrase that struck me was our neighborsdrove me home. This suggested to me that something had happened asusually a students parents take them to and from school. We thenfind out that the father, apparently always strong at other funerals,is distraught, while the get under ones skin is too angry to cry. Also theeuphemism used by Big Jim Evans its a hard blow. Having readthis I thought it suggested that he probably is algophobic to express hiscondolences and tries to make it as manly as possible. But later Irealized that Big Jim Evans is speaking of a metaphorical blow aswe find out that the boy was killed in a car crash.Heaney then walks into the living room and is met by older work force. Theystand to greet him and they shake his leave and one says Sorry for mytrouble. This was rare for him because these men were treating himas an equal and I was confused at this point as to why older men wereapologizing to a young boy and t urned to respect him. This is anothertechnique used to create more tension. By telling us his emotions Iwas embarrass we have a better idea of the atmosphere around him.We can tell by the tone in which the boy introduces his family, thathe is not inwardness with the current situation.He then enters the bedroom of his brother.