Loss In Poetry

How the poets explore the concept of loss in “Mid-Term Break” and “Mother any Distance” In this essay, the concept of loss will be discussed in the poems “Mother, Any Distance” by Simon Armitage and “Mid-Term Break”; which is an autobiographical poem by Seamus Heaney based in Northern Ireland which looks at denial and regret felt in loss whereas “Mother, Any Distance” explores the loss in the relationship of a family.

The metaphorical use of “counting bells knelling classes to a close” draws the attention of the audience because the verb “knelling” used in funerals, indirectly proposes the concept of a life lost at the beginning of the poem. This is an example of juxtaposition as “knelling” elicits the action of mourning whereas students would be ecstatic waiting for class to end. This is important because it reflects on the contrast of life and death; when someone is alive it would show jubilance whereas someone passes away it would suggest affliction.
Heaney utilizes the phrase “I met my father crying” in stanza 2, showing how tragic the event is, as a mature male adult figure is brought to tears with a single movement. This creates a melancholic tone to the poem and the persona, which evokes a sense of empathy within the reader. Also the subject “father” is used instead of “dad” because since he was studying abroad for “six weeks” he disconnected slightly which links back to his brother’s disbelief and denial because he can’t grasp the understanding that he lost something so valuable while he was