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Analysis Of ' Piano ' And ' Hide And Seek '

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‘Piano’ and ‘Hide and seek’ show fond, vivid memories of childhood. The writers have obviously lived a happy life as they write in a joyful tone; this reflects the sentiment of Christie’s quotation. In contrast ‘A Mother in a refugee camp’ and ‘Prayer before Birth’ describe the horror of growing up in a poor environment. ‘Prayer before Birth’ indicates that life is a lottery and it is a matter of luck whether you avoid the hardships and pain of life. However ‘If-’ tries to guide the child away from making mistakes. ‘If,’ describes growing up to be a good and happy person, rather than a fulfilled childhood.
‘Prayer before Birth’ is a dark and disturbing poem written from the point of view of the unborn child who is preaching to God that when he is born, hoping he is not affected by the horrors of society. Macneice 's negative views towards current society are shown through the fetus’ spiteful thoughts; in the fifth stanza, Macneice lists how the unborn child wants to avoid ‘bureaucrats’ hectoring him, avoid being laughed at ‘by lovers’ and not be frowned at by ‘mountains’-this portrays how paranoid the fetus is. Not only is he worried about being judged by ordinary people, but also the landscape surrounding him. The influence of nature will affect his unspoilt unborn form, but he should not be looking at it pessimistically. One of the most powerful effects used by Macneice is the repetition of the phrase ‘I am not born yet.’ This emphasises the fact that he has not yet

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