With this Heaney poem, imagery is very important and powerful. The use of auditory imagery is the most prevalent in this piece. With a small blend of visual imagery to enhance the poem's depth of feeling. Through the proper blending of these imageries, the author brings the poem to life from beginning to end.
             The auditory imagery starts off the poem in the second line. The sound of the bells 'knelling' brings forth the first auditory image. Since the definition of 'knelling' is, to give fourth a mournful and ominous sound [1]. The poem takes on a bleak feeling from the start. This is backed up with the next auditory image of crying. Followed up with the images of whispering, as if needing to grasp something that is just out of reach. The sound of "coughed out angry tearless sighs" (line 13), helps to recreate the painful emotions the mothers has as she tries to stop herself from crying. While not all of the auditory images are of an ominous nature, the majority are. Leaving the one that is not, standing out away from the rest.
             The auditory image that stands apart from the rest is that of the baby. The way the "baby cooed and laughed" (line 7) makes the scene even more ironic, as this sound contrast heavily with everyone else's sadness and embarrassment. This line also opens up the visual imagery in this poem.
             The visual imagery, though not as strong as the auditory, is still effective at getting the point across. The visual image of the corpse from the ambulance 'stanched', meaning stopping the flow of blood [2]. Conveys the end of his brother's life. This is also seen when he views his brother for the first time, noting him paler. The other visual images that set to mark the sadness of this poem are that of the bruise on the brother's head, and the coffin itself. The bruise visually is small. Which indicates an almost painless death...