Student poetry comparison

1. Compare and contrast the ways in
which poets have used contrasts to
present the theme of conflict in the
two poems studied.
Out of The Blue & Yellow Palms

2. Structure
Both Out of the Blue and Yellow Palms have similar structures. They both contain
even writing patterns which rhyme on the second line. However, in Yellow Palms,
the first, second, third, and sixth. This affects the reader by enforcing an impression
of ridged structure. Maybe it’s a metaphor for the integrity of the conflicts, or the
structural contrast of war to normal life…

3. Connotations
In Yellow Palms, Robert MinHinnik uses many sentences with ambiguity (words with a
few connotations,) He writes: ‘… around a coffin made of glass’. This could have a
literal meaning – the glass was physically made of glass, or he could mean that the
Gulf war, and the horrible reality of the world’s current affairs are subjected to the
gaze of so many through media and news; everyone can see the effects of the war on
innocent people yet they do nothing about it. This is shown when the poet uses ‘I
watched’ when describing the sight.
In

4. Language
• Within each of the poems (Out Of The Blue and The Yellow Palm) the
poets have used similar terminology to show contrast. In Out of the Blue,
Armitage has used casual phrases and has mentioned insignificant things
e.g. “A bird goes by” to demonstrate the power and abnormality in the
conflict. Minhinnick also uses similar things in his poem; “I saw their
branches hung with yellow dates”; which gives the same effect on the
reader. By doing this they have used a contrast to reality which
demonstrates a certain lack of concern about the conflict by others
around the world.