1. Objectives Heading: Mid-Term Break- Seamus Heaney Date:
Introduce the poem.
Understand the themes of ‘Death’ and ‘Celebrating a person’.
Warm – up – next slide

2. Question – exercise copy
Warm-up
Question – exercise copy
What do you think of when you hear the phrase ‘Mid-term break’?
How do the following images make you feel?

3. Mid-Term Break
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. In the porch I met my father crying-- He had always taken funerals in his stride-- 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 By old men standing up to shake my hand And tell me they were "sorry for my trouble," Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest, Away at school, as my mother held my hand In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs. At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses. 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 the left temple, He lay in the four foot box as in a cot. No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear. A four foot box, a foot for every year.

4. Mid-Term Break Exercise 1: First Impressions
Having read the poem once, write down one sentence in response and share it.
Try using: I think, I know, I don’t know, I want to know.
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. In the porch I met my father crying-- He had always taken funerals in his stride-- 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 By old men standing up to shake my hand And tell me they were "sorry for my trouble," Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest, Away at school, as my mother held my hand In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs. At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses. 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 the left temple, He lay in the four foot box as in a cot. No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear. A four foot box, a foot for every year.

5. Notes – notes copy – stanza one
The poem is a true story and shows the poet’s first experience with death. He was just starting secondary school when his brother died. He wrote this poem years later to express himself.
Why is he in the sickbay?
Why do his neighbours
pick him up?
Knell – to ring slowly, solemnly, like a funeral bell.
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.

6. Notes – stanza 2
We see the wake as family and friends gather to offer condolences. His parents are in shock; unable to speak or move.
(What are the two meanings of ‘Hard Blow’?)
In the porch I met my father crying-- He had always taken funerals in his stride-- And Big Jim Evans saying it was a hard blow.

7. Quick Question?
What words pop into your head when you see this?

8. Notes – Stanza 3
In contrast to his father, the poet’s baby sister is innocent; ignorant of what is happening. It is like there are two worlds here, one of happy new life and the other of depressing death.
The baby cooed and laughed and rocked the pram When I came in, and I was embarrassed By old men standing up to shake my hand

9. Notes – Stanza 4 and 5
As the eldest son, the poet is forced to grow up, face reality and shake adult’s hands. His mother is too upset to even cry. All she can do is force sighs out to express herself.
(Honestly, do you shake hands often?) (Have you ever been so angry, you see red?)
‘Stanched’ – stopping the flow of blood.
And tell me they were "sorry for my trouble," Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest, Away at school, as my mother held my hand
In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs. At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses.

10. Notes – Stanza 6 and 7
The poet sees his dead brother and the entire image stays with him. Every detail is significant, particularly the flowers. Snowdrops represent hope and new beginnings while poppies commemorate those who died in war. (Why?)
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 the left temple, He lay in the four foot box as in a cot. No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear.

11. Other amazing images here:
Notes – Stanza 6 and 7
Other amazing images here:
Candles
Wearing a bruise
Box as a Cot
The Bumper
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 the left temple, He lay in the four foot box as in a cot. No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear.

12. Notes – Stanza 8 A four foot box, a foot for every year.
The poet ends with a single, short powerful line. Both the line and the entire poem represent his brother.
A four foot box, a foot for every year.

13. Questions: Remember “quotes”.
Is this a good portrayal of a funeral’s wake in your opinion?
In your own words, describe the dead boy as the poet sees him.
What do you think of the poet after reading this poem?

14. Homework part 2 Learn the first 3 stanzas
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. In the porch I met my father crying-- He had always taken funerals in his stride-- 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 By old men standing up to shake my hand

15. Mid-Term Break
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. In the porch I met my father crying-- He had always taken funerals in his stride-- 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 By old men standing up to shake my hand And tell me they were "sorry for my trouble," Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest, Away at school, as my mother held my hand In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs. At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses. 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 the left temple, He lay in the four foot box as in a cot. No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear. A four foot box, a foot for every year.

16. Part 2

17. Heading: Mid-Term Break 2- Seamus Heaney Date:
Objectives
To examine the poetic techniques of Mid-Term Break, including:
Rhyme (Alliteration, assonance and consonance)
Simile and Metaphor.
Tone
Warm – up – next slide

18. Mid-Term Break
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. In the porch I met my father crying-- He had always taken funerals in his stride-- 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 By old men standing up to shake my hand And tell me they were "sorry for my trouble," Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest, Away at school, as my mother held my hand In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs. At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses. 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 the left temple, He lay in the four foot box as in a cot. No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear. A four foot box, a foot for every year.

19. Warm-up exercise Mid-Term Break
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. In the porch I met my father crying-- He had always taken funerals in his stride-- 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 By old men standing up to shake my hand And tell me they were "sorry for my trouble," Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest, Away at school, as my mother held my hand In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs. At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses. 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 the left temple, He lay in the four foot box as in a cot. No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear. A four foot box, a foot for every year.
Write down the question and your answer.
Mid-Term break is often called a Sombre poem, meaning it has a feeling of deep seriousness and sadness. Do you agree and why?
Two to three line answer with one quote.

20. Quick Question Mid-Term Break
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. In the porch I met my father crying-- He had always taken funerals in his stride-- 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 By old men standing up to shake my hand And tell me they were "sorry for my trouble," Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest, Away at school, as my mother held my hand In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs. At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses. 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 the left temple, He lay in the four foot box as in a cot. No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear. A four foot box, a foot for every year.
Where is the one full rhyme in the poem? There are lots of half rhymes but only one full one.

21. Notes – rhyme
Mid-Term Break is a free verse poem with no particular rhyming scheme. It’s one full rhyme is used to close the poem, adding to the sense of finality and emphasising the theme of death.
Question: Some people call the last line a bitter joke. Do you think that Seamus Heaney is angry or bitter here?
No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear.
A four foot box, a foot for every year.

22. Notes – rhyme
Alliteration highlights both the words and the sense of time when it is used. It reflects impatience in the sick bay and a lack of time at the end. “bells knelling” is also an example of assonance and ‘onomatopoeia’ as the poet is trying to make the sound of bells.
Question: The first quote is called harsh alliteration because of the ‘C’. Do you think it is unpleasant to say and hear these words.
knelling classes to a close,
A four foot box, a foot for every year.

23. Notes – mood
This is a sombre poem however the mood changes at two points. The baby sister laughing is a spark of light. At the end then is where the poet truly come to terms with what has happened. It is almost peaceful in that room.
Question: Can you find any verbs in particular which create the sad and confusing mood for the rest of the poem.
The baby cooed and laughed and rocked the pram And candles soothed the bedside; I saw him

24. Another Question Mid-Term Break Can you spot the simile and metaphor?
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. In the porch I met my father crying-- He had always taken funerals in his stride-- 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 By old men standing up to shake my hand And tell me they were "sorry for my trouble," Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest, Away at school, as my mother held my hand In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs. At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses. 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 the left temple, He lay in the four foot box as in a cot. No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear. A four foot box, a foot for every year.
Can you spot the simile and metaphor?
Clue: same stanza.

25. Notes – simile and metaphor
The coffin is compared to a sleeping baby’s cot and the fatal bruise is compared to wearing a poppy. Both images show a reluctance to accept the brother’s death. Then how he was killed is revealed.
Question: Can you see the difference between the comparison and the reality?
Wearing a poppy bruise on the left temple, He lay in the four foot box as in a cot. No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear.

26. Homework
Copy the poem into your notes with images beside it. There are 8 stanzas but choose the best couple images to focus on.
Remember, the point is to help you learn the poem so choose images you see as being linked to the words. Simple is better.

27. Mid-Term Break
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. In the porch I met my father crying-- He had always taken funerals in his stride-- 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 By old men standing up to shake my hand And tell me they were "sorry for my trouble," Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest, Away at school, as my mother held my hand In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs. At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses. 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 the left temple, He lay in the four foot box as in a cot. No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear. A four foot box, a foot for every year.