Compare and contrast the ways in which the realities of conflict are presented in The Yellow

Palm and Out of the Blue

Overview

In ‘Out of the Blue’ and ‘The Yellow Palm’ both poets convey realities of conflict in the 21st Century. In The Yellow Palm, the poet writes about the current warfare in Iraq and is observing from his point of view. In Out of the Blue, the poet writes from the perspective of a man stuck in the Twin towers during the 9/11 attacks.

Comparison

In ‘Out of the blue’, the poet uses repetition such as ‘waving, waving’, this connotes that he is desperate for somebody to help him, and nobody is helping. Also, repetition is also used in ‘The Yellow Palm’ when Minhinnick uses ‘ as I made my way down Palestine street’ to start each stanza. This shows that lots is happening in that street everywhere he goes and that its seemingly never ending. The poet does not convey his emotions, whereas Armitage does.

Comparison

In ‘Out of the Blue’ the poet has hope that someone will come and save him in the first stanza, however in the last stanza he realises that he is going to die. The effect of this reveals the reality that everyone died that was in 9/11 and there was no escaping.