OUT OUT:

In Out Out Frost builds tension to prepare the reader for an accident ,the speed at which the
accident occurs shows how easily such things can happen.During the first half of the poem
Frost hints at something terrible which might occur.The title of the poem is a quotation from
Macbeth about the brevity of life.For those familiar with this play the title encourages the
consideration of how life can be extinguished as easily as a candle.The fierce personification of
the saw also creates tension and hints at a violent incident ahead.”the buzz saw snarled and
rattled”Further increasing the tension,Frost hints at regret “I wish they might have said”” that the
boy could stop work.Although there is no suggestion at this stage that the accident will be
fatal,the build-up of tension prepares the reader for a terrible outcome.

The accident itself is described quickly suggesting the ease at which such seriois incidents
occur.The saw is personified again:”it leaped out of the boy’s hand” like an animal.By blaming
an inanimate object Frost shows how nobody can be blamed.The line “neither refused the
meeting” is an euphemistic description of the painful impact of the violent saw with the innocent
hand reflecting the ease of the accident occuring.The use of life instead of blood in the line “to
keep The life from spilling” suggests that his life is being pured away and his death is quick
described in just 3 words about his diminishing heartbeat “Little-Less-Nothing” The speed of this
description shocks the reader as his death seems so easy.

The reaction of other encourages further reflection on the fragility of life..The death is described
casually with use of colloquial phrases “that ended it” and “no more to build on there”.This
casual attitude shows how easily life can end and also shows that for these people death is a
normal part of life.This impression is confirmed when the people return to their work at the end
of the poem.No time is spent on grieving siggesting death is not a surprise and not dramatic but
something which could happen to anyone at anytime.This attitude might be shocking to some
atheist or unreligious readers but highlights the fact that in dangerous ocntexts like this humans
stupidly have a grasp on life with a particular fragility.The poem begins with a young boy at work
and by the end of the poem the boy is dead and everybody else has continued as normal.This
simplicity is utterly tragic

In Out Out the boy is seen as a victim of a horrible accident.The reader feels sympathy for the
boy before the accident as he is too young to be doing such physical labour and even after
death which seems to go completely unnoticed.The reader feels sorry for the boy before the
accident due to the adult nature of the work.The saw that th eboy is using is presented as
violent and horrible.The phrase “snarled and rattled” is repeated ;the personification and
onomatoepia make the saw sound like a noisy violent animal which is inappropriate for a
child.Frost references the boys desire for a break with a wistful and regretful tone reminding the
reader the accident oculd have been avoided.The poignant lines “Big boy/Doing a mans
work,though a child at heart” further emphasises this message:here the writer highlights the
conflict between the childs essential innocence and the way he has been forced to grow up
before his time.
When the accident occurs the reactions of others are somewhat surprising and further evoke
sympathy for the young victim.In the description of the accidnrt itself Frost does not refer to any
other people.We might expect hsi fellow workers to rush to his aid but the implication is the boy
struggled alone,with nobody answering his “appeal”The boy cries out to his sister begging her to
not allow the doctor to cut off his hand however Frost does not refer to any words of comfort
implying they were not given.Instead immediately following this pathetic appeal is a short abrupt
sentence “So”.This reflects the observers’ practical adn seemingly uncaring attitude towards the
accident.The loneliness of the boy in his moment of need makes him eminently pitiable.

There is juctaposition between the peace and tranquility of the setting with “five mountain
ranges” and the noise of the saw.There is also increased contrast and juxtaposition made
memorable by the alliteration in “sweet scented stuff” against “dust and dropped” which seems
out of touch with the piece but use of sibilance creates a foreboding and petrifying mood that
danger is lurking.Also the poem is written with no stanzas and minimal rhyme portraying a lack
of cheery nature or happy ending instead a truly horrifying accidnet has taken place further
promoting anger as to why the child was in custody of the buzz saw in the first place.

SIGNIFICANT CIGARETTES:

A key theme throughout the extract is the juxtaposition between the lives of Lev and Lydia.Lydia
is seenas being more confident and established than Lev,her state is much less desperate than
Lev and she is simply going to england to escape her own boredom she feels,no way near the
dire economic situation of Lev.”I became very tired of the view from my window”In fact Lydia has
job offers already waiting for her and has her job planned out.”I have some interviews in London
for jobs as a translator”Lydia is also seen to have lots of knowledge seen in the fact she alludes
to Shakespeare in “To be or not to be”Lev is seen as an economic migrant in a more desperate
situation than Lydia seen through the use of asyndetic listing.”My daughter Maya needs
clothes,shoes,books,toys,everything””Lev is prepared to do “any work at all”his lack of
organisation juxtaposes the readiness of Lydia who knows exactly what she will be doing.Lev
can also be seen to be less confident and more afraid to Lydia seen through the use of
language in “I am”,he’s afraid of deportation or being discriminated against him being an
immigrant.

Tremain also presents a gloomy nature regarding Lev,especially seen after his wife
dies,sadness and pain are written through Levs past.It shows Grief Lev is embedded in after
Marinas death.”If only we were storks” Because you never see a stork dying.It’s as though they
didn’t die”The use of short sentences and symbolism exemplifies Lev’s desire for freedom and
eternal living,it’s what he would have wanted for Marina for her to have lived for longer though
sadly the opposite occurs.Lev has been seen to have a hard rather harsh past seen through the
vivid imagery of “a hard wooden chair” showing the tough unforgiving life which Lev has been
through,he sees England as a chance to make a fresh start through the use of religious imagery
and symbolism used when Lev takes out a “British twenty pound note” “An angel blowing a
trumpet above him and and all the angel’s radiance falling on him” Lev had been told the english
were lucky and he wanted a slice of luck hence “my time is coming” he want’s a share of gods
grace which is something the english are blessed with.

Finally Lev is seen as someone who prefers order and to work in routine otherwise he tends to
get extremely nervous as seen by when he wasn’t allowed to smoke “He tried to prepare himself
for the long agony of it”Darkness had always arrived in the same way,from the same direction,
above the same trees, whether early or late, whether in summer,winter or spring, for the whole
of his life. “The use of asyndetic listing refers the simplistic life of Lev though also gives a sense
of lonelines and hopelessness,ther’s no excitement within him.he’s seen as a rather dull
character who takes an unlit cigarette as a companion.Lots of short sentences are used to
emphasise Lev’s situation and feelings.”He would soon be forty three” implying how he’s a
mature person starting a new journey into a new life.These short sentences indicate a sense of
desperation and suspense as Lev has nothing planned out,he doesn’t knwo what to expect

BUT THE HAND puts more focus on to the boy to emphasise his injury,conjunction of but is
used to suggest that the writer is so affected by the boys in jury and this is reinforced with the
use of an exclamation mark which suggests to the reader that he is badly injured foreshadowing
the boys death.Furthermore it is a short sentence symbolising the life is short.The writer
structures this poem into 1 stanza to represent the shortness of life and how life can change
within seconds.