Analytical ResponsePrayer before birth and Mid-term break

Seamus Heany’s “Mid-Term break” and Louis MacNiece’s “ Prayer Before birth” are two poems, which differ from each other in many ways, including the authors’ use of language, all of which will be explored in detail later in this response. Heany’s poetry conveys a strong and harsh environment with an effective use of soft and hard sounding assonance and alliteration to continuously change the mood of the poem. While Heany’s poetry delivers a harsh atmosphere, Louis MacNiece communicates more a sense of anger and frustration rather than pity or sadness.
MacNiece’s “Prayer Before Birth,” use of a large amount of alliteration and assonance displays and strong internal rhythm within the poem, as these features are used regularly throughout the poem. One example of this is are the following lines “Do not let the bat or the rat or the stoat or the club footed ghoul come near me.” A strong noticeable...