Compare and contrast Hide and Seek by Vernon Scannell...

Hide and Seek concerns a boy hiding cautiously whilst playing hide and seek with his peers. Gradually, he realises he has been abandoned, and fear overcomes him due to being isolated in the dark surroundings. The tone is incredibly certain and positive at the beginning. However, his confidence gradually fades away as the realisation of his abandonment occurs. The mood is analogous to the tone. At first, we can sense the excitement. This modifies to anxiety and nervousness towards the end. The poet uses language features to portray the tone. On the first line, exclamation marks are used to show the enthusiasm of the boy. Scannell uses personification and the senses to describe the surrounding atmosphere in a vivid way. Therefore, the†¦show more content†¦But where are they who sought you? This is the voice of the adult reflecting on a bitter experience. It is symbolic that the poem begins with the imperative and exclamation marks and conspicuously ends with confusion and ques tion marks. It emphasises the gradual change from having a positive attitude to realisation of isolation. An alternative point that proves that the mood is positive at the beginning is that the child compares the current situation to a typical, happy one the majority of childrens experience. The sacks in the tool shed smell like the seaside. This gives the impression of a dazzling, sunny beach with a lot of happy children playing without constraints and restriction. This is ironic as the child is isolated in a dark, begrimed place with restricted space. The poem is one continuous stanza. The dramatic monologue symbolizes the unbearable length of waiting time. The character is speaking directly to us, explaining his different feelings and thoughts. The poem can be divided into two parts. They are positivity and certainty, and negativity and realisation. The first line of the second part is, it seems a long time since they went away. Previously, the child attempts to convince himself they are still looking for him. They must be thinking youre very clever. The effect of this is to emphasise the naivety and innocence of the child. For the majority of the poem, the child