Compare and contrast the ways in which poets have presented ideas about death in ‘Out of

the Blue’ and ‘The Yellow Palm’

The Yellow Palm

• ‘The Yellow Palm’ clearly shows they harsh reality of war but it is written in almost a positive tone as if to cover up what is really happening in Iraq. In the first stanza it says, ’around a coffin of glass.’ It tells us that the whole world can see the horrific ways in which people die.

Out Of The Blue

• Throughout the poem the inevitability of death is not shown since it is quite hopeful, however toward the end you gather that actually death is certain to happen and suicide is the only way out of the situation. ‘I am still breathing. But tiring, tiring. Sirens below are wailing, firing. My arm is numb and my nerves are sagging. Do you see me, my love. I am failing, flagging.’ This is clearly showing that there is no escaping that death is going to happen, even if you are being optimistic and hopeful.

Comparison

• Both poems in some way or another try to hide the reality of death even though nobody can stop it from happening.